Date: Wednesday, February 25
Time: 1 p.m. ET | 12 p.m. CT | 10 a.m. PT
Register now using the “Register for this Police1 Webinar” box on this page!
Can’t make the date? Register anyway and we’ll send you a recording after the event.
Federal public safety funding is entering a markedly different phase in FY26. While overall grant programs such as COPS, HIDTA, Byrne-JAG and related DOJ and DHS initiatives remain essential to law enforcement and task force operations, the way these funds are awarded, conditioned and overseen is changing in material ways. FY26 reflects a broader federal “streamlining” agenda that prioritizes fewer, more defensible programs; clearer outcome justification; and stronger alignment with national policy priorities, combined with heightened compliance and certification scrutiny.
This webinar will provide a practical, nonpartisan reality check for public safety leaders and grant administrators. We’ll examine how FY26 budget proposals and administrative changes are reshaping COPS and HIDTA, what emerging political and priority-based filters mean for discretionary awards and why compliance posture now plays a decisive role in both grant approval and sustainment. Attendees will learn how grant narratives, performance metrics and program design are being evaluated differently and how misalignment or poorly documented outcomes can increase risk, delay awards or jeopardize renewals.
Designed for police leadership, HIDTA and task force managers, and government grant professionals, this session translates policy shifts into operational guidance. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to position FY26 grant applications, reduce compliance exposure and ensure public safety programs remain fundable, defensible and resilient in an increasingly scrutinized federal funding environment.
By attending this webinar, you will be able to:
- Identify how FY26 federal budget proposals and administrative priorities are changing the structure and oversight of public safety grant programs.
- Develop strategies to better align grant applications with national policy priorities and defensible outcomes.
- Evaluate common sources of risk that can delay awards, trigger heightened scrutiny, or jeopardize continued grant funding.
MEET THE SPEAKERS:
As 908 Devices’ Vice President for North America and Strategic Marketing, John Johnson oversees the strategic direction and market adoption of the company’s handheld mass spectrometer and FTIR product lines. Johnson has served many roles over the course of his 30 years in public safety, launching 17 products in more than 61 countries and working with more than 400 public safety organizations. Since 2001, he has focused his efforts on changing mindsets and driving acceptance of novel technological approaches to identifying explosives, chemical weapons and narcotics. His work is bringing technology used in forensic laboratories to the field, including mass spectrometry, FTIR, Raman and Rapid DNA. His influence in these areas has led to standard industry practices and broad technology adoption, all aimed at improving public safety outcomes.
Samantha Dorm is a senior grant consultant for Lexipol, serving FireGrantsHelp.com, EMSGrantsHelp.com and PoliceGrantsHelp.com. She first began working as a consultant for the grants division of Praetorian Digital (now Lexipol) in 2010. Dorm has been instrumental in providing grant writing guidance to various public safety and non-profit agencies throughout the United States to enable them to obtain alternative funding as well as provide instruction on statistical compilation, analysis and program development. Dorm is a reviewer for several federal agencies and also instructs grant writing workshops.