PORT ANGELES — A half-million-dollar federal grant to put more police on the streets of selected American cities will pay for two additional police officers in Port Angeles starting next year.

The $500,210 grant, announced today by Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder, is part of a $1 billion stimulus program to put police on the streets under a program called Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS.

The Port Angeles department submitted its application to the Justice Department in April to fund two open commissioned police officer positions from 2010 to 2012.

By receiving the grant to cover the salaries and bene ­fits for the two officers for the three-year term, the city is committed to funding the positions for an additional year.

“PAPD is very fortunate to have our grant request fully funded when so many other jurisdictions were unsuccessful in their application for federal assistance,” Gallagher said in a prepared statement.

“Given the state of our local economy, it is unlikely that absent this funding, we could have moved forward with filling these badly needed positions.

“The federal funding will bring some stability to our budget and allow us to better address the law enforcement needs of our community.”