WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A Kansas county and three cities will share nearly $482,000 from the U.S. Justice Department to hire military veterans for law enforcement jobs.

The grants were announced Monday under the Justice Department's Community Oriented Policing Services program, or COPS.

In Kansas, the Dickinson County Sheriff's Department is receiving about $113,000. Grants of $125,000 are going to the Paola Police Department and the city of Andover, while the city of Liberal will receive about $118,000.

All new positions funded by this year's grants must be filled by military veterans who have served at least 180 days since Sept. 11, 2001.

In all, the Justice Department said it's awarding more than $111 million this year to public safety agencies nationwide to create or save about 800 law enforcement positions.