Mr Obama praised the award-winning cops for stepping into harm's way to form a 'block by block' line between 'safety and violence, calm and chaos, hope and despair.'

'One of the greatest concerns is that we'll see state and local governments forced to lay off police officers - even though we know that crime has a tendency to go up when the economy is in dire straits,' Mr Obama said.

'We've seen that in my own hometown of Chicago and in many other cities. So we can't back down, because the job of every American depends on the job you do and the resources that enable you to do that job well.'

The president, who included about US$3 billion (S$4.5 billion) in funding and grants to save the jobs of police officers facing lay-offs in economically bereft states, said safe neighborhoods were a prerequisite for prosperity.

'Police officers know better than anyone, a neighborhood that isn't safe is a neighborhood that isn't growing,' Mr Obama said at the event in the Rose Garden of the White House.

'It won't see old businesses opening their doors. You know how devastating crime can be, how it can shatter lives and undermine whole communities.'

Mr Obama honored officers cited for bravery by the National Association of Police Organisations, including several who had captured or killed armed robbers, sometimes while off duty, or rescued people from burning buildings.

Officer Timothy Gramins from Illinois gave chase after a bank robbery, and shot a suspect who started raining gunfire on a crowded street.

Two other officers, Chris Davis and Jason Rose from Idaho, ran from house to house in a burning street, rescuing residents. When fire melted their uniforms they had to put them out with sprinklers. One person died in the blaze. -- AFP