; sense of Congress (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing highlighted the importance of hiring law enforcement officers who reflect the diversity and values of the community, and who have both the mindset and the skills needed to engage with the community. (2) Diverse workforces can be more effective, creative, and resilient than homogenous workforces, and teams with broader perspectives result in better decision making and problem-solving practices. Recruiting a diverse pool of candidates includes qualified individuals from different races, genders, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. (3) Effective recruitment practices can help law enforcement agencies engender trust, develop good relations with their communities, and ensure that the officers they hire can best serve those communities. Recruitment efforts should start in the community, and law enforcement agencies should consider developing youth programs to attract younger generations. This could include Explorer programs, internships through local schools, cadet academies, university partnerships, and youth mentorship programs that foster relationships between young adults and departments. Not only do these programs develop enthusiasm for a law enforcement career, but they can also build relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (commonly known as the COPS Office ) of the Department of Justice is uniquely suited to empower local law enforcement agencies to fulfill recommendations related to law enforcement hiring practices, including agencies being reflective of the communities they serve, both demographically and in values and vision, and possessing the mindset and skills needed to engage with the community. 3. Rural community access to COPS grants (a) Uses of grant amounts Section 1701(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of