Niagara County Sheriff's Department Awarded $11,000 by Department of Justice

Funding from the Secure our Schools Initiative will Promote School Safety

Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-Fairport), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, is pleased to announce that the Niagara County Sheriff's Department has been awarded $11,000 by the Secure our Schools Initiative, a federal program administered by the Department of Justice. The funding will be used to pay for equipment and training necessary to maintain safe and secure school environments.

"Nothing is more important than keeping our children safe," Rep. Slaughter said. "And we should do everything possible to give them a school environment where physical danger is the last thing from their minds, and where they can focus instead on their studies and their futures," she added.  

"This funding will help to do just that," she said.

This year, the Secure our Schools Initiative will provide $14.8 million to 187 law enforcement agencies nationwide. The grants are used to pay for half of the cost of metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent security equipment in schools. Security assessments are also funded by the initiative, as is security training for students and school personnel. Coordination between schools and local law enforcement is stressed, as are other measures that could significantly increase the school security. Grants from the initiative are matched by local funding.