DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COPS PROGRAM AWARDS FUNDS TO PROTECT SECOND DISTRICT SCHOOLS

TOPEKA, KS – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) announced today that the United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded $876,479 in school safety resource grants to the Second District of Kansas.

The grants were awarded under the COPS Secure Our Schools program which is intended to support efforts to improve the safety of schools. The funds from this program will help prevent crime by aiding in the cost to install equipment, such as metal detectors, locks, and lighting, or to conduct security assessments and training. The grants will provide municipalities up to 50 percent of the total cost for these initiatives. 

This round of the COPS Secure Our Schools program was awarded to 143 local law enforcement agencies in 34 states. There were 9 grants awarded in the state of Kansas, of which, 6 were to counties or cities in the Second District. 

Congresswoman Boyda stated, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of the award recipients for their hard work and for these well-earned grants. Students and educators deserve schools where they feel safe and secure so they can focus on what is truly important – an education. The funds from this program will help ensure safety in our schools and our communities, and I thank each of these groups for their dedication to protecting them.” 

The following is a list of the grants awarded in the Second Congressional District of Kansas: 

*Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department was awarded $161,087 and will use the funds for updating security and safety equipment in their schools.

*The City of Fort Scott was awarded $16,295 and will use these funds to place magnetic locks on the school building doors and install security cameras at Fort Scott High School.

*The City of Girard was awarded $23,013 and will use the funds for upgrading a digital video recorder system (DVR) for the high school. They will also be installing six cameras in the Girard Alternative School, four cameras in Haderlein Elementary and six cameras at the Girard Bus Barn.

*The Labette County Sheriff’s Office was awarded $362,885 which will be put towards the cost of two projects. The first project will place magnetic locks on the school building doors and install security cameras. The funds for the second project will assist school districts in the county for one year if they elect the School Reach Automated system.

*The Leavenworth Police Department was awarded $19,950 and will use the funds to install surveillance video cameras into five schools within the city to deter school crime and bullying.

*The Wilson County Sheriff Department was awarded $293,249 which will go towards the Neodesha and Fredonia school districts to update and install security cameras and other security measures.