The University of Arizona Police Department will add five new officers to its force next year after receiving a grant from the U.S. Justice Department.

The Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services has granted money to many major police forces, including Phoenix and Tucson, said UAPD Lt. Samuel T. Ragland. He said university police organizations are rarely granted money.

The UAPD received $341,084 to fund the hiring of the five new officers, Ragland said.

The grant allows the department to increase its staff to 49 officers without taking on the full financial burden for the new officers all at once, said UAPD Acting Lt. Brian Seastone.

The grant pays the salaries of the new officers for three years, and at the end of that time, the department will have funds accumulated for those officers to continue working.

The department's role at the university is unique, because besides its work as a municipal police force, it works intimately with community programs and offices.

"The grant is useful because the university continues to grow and the UAPD doesn't grow in proportion," Ragland said.

Ideally, the UAPD would have a staff of 50-55 officers, Seastone said.

In order to maintain the resources necessary for good police work in the face of budget constraints, the UAPD will continue to apply for grants, Ragland said. The department has currently applied to the Governor's Community and Highway Safety Office for funds to create a DUI task force for the university, but that application has not yet been reviewed.

The new officers have already started their training, Seastone said. They are attending the state police academy, and the entire group will graduate Sept. 13.