$91,494 IN NEW FEDERAL FUNDS FOR SOUTH ORANGE SCHOOLS
$43,450 IN NEW FEDERAL FUNDS FOR CITY OF PASSAIC SCHOOLS

Continuing his fight to secure federal resources for community safety, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) announced today that the City of Passaic and the Village of South Orange have been awarded $134,944 in federal funding 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.

“I share a commitment with the City of Passaic and the Village of South Orange to enhance our children’s educational experience,” stated Pascrell.  “America’s children spend more time in school than anyplace outside the home.  Bringing new resources to schools will go a long way towards enhancing an atmosphere of safety and learning.  This grant will empower students to focus on learning and help them reach their potential.  It is incumbent upon this Congress to foster a safe environment for our promising young people to thrive.”

South Orange will use the $91, 494 in grant funding will be used to secure a new School Resource Officers at the Middle School.  The specific community strategy to utilize the new officer within the Middle School will be developed cooperatively between the police department and school system faculty.

The City of Passaic has secured $43,450, which brings the City’s total COPS grant allocation since 2003 to a total of $1,858,450.  $208,450 of the funding secured was provided for the City of Passaic public school system.    

Pascrell worked to secure the funding, which provides up to 50 percent of the total cost for municipalities to hire officers, install metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other equipment to help deter crime.  The grant 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.

South Orange Middle School Principal Kirk Smith stated, “This grant is a fantastic opportunity for the South Orange community to develop a better working relationship that will benefit our students, staff and the community overall.  I thank the Congressman for his support in making this happen.  In today’s world security is always a concern.”

The COPS Office has long demonstrated a commitment to school safety. COPS has invested nearly $890 million in America's schools through programs like COPS in
Schools, School-Based Partnerships, and the Safe Schools Initiative. COPS expanded that range of programs in fiscal year 2002 to include Secure Our Schools (SOS).

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 1995, COPS has invested $11.3 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.

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