New Grant for School Safety

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J., 8th) announced today that the city of Paterson has been awarded $ 90,000 in federal funding for local law enforcement to enhance school safety.  The grant was awarded through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) "Secure Our Schools" program, which provides funds to improve security at schools and on school grounds.

Pascrell worked to secure the grants, which will provide up to 50 percent of the total cost for municipalities to install metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other equipment to help deter crime.  The grants can also be used to pay half of the cost of security assessments, security training, and other measures that will provide a significant improvement in security.

"Community policing has proven extremely effective in driving down crime in both our cities and our suburbs, and bringing these new officers to our schools will go a long way toward enhancing an atmosphere of safety and learning," stated Pascrell.   "Helping to deliver these dollars to put more cops on the beat has been a top priority for me."
"These new officers help fulfill a commitment to clean up the streets of our city and empower our students to focus on learning and reach their potential," added Pascrell.
Secure Our Schools is one of several COPS initiatives to enhance school safety. COPS has provided $746.9 million to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire and train more than 6,500 school resource officers. COPS also provides school safety training, and has published several technical assistance guides to help law enforcement agencies effectively address specific school and youth violence issues.

In addition, COPS supports innovative community policing initiatives, funds the purchase of crime fighting technology, provides training and technical assistance resources, and funds the hiring of local law enforcement officers.  Since 1994, COPS has invested $10.6 billion in the advancement of community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,600 state and local law enforcement agencies to hire over 118,000 officers.

For additional information about COPS Secure Our Schools program, and to view a list of municipalities that received grants, visit COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov

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