DOJ Funds School Security, Criminal Record System Initiatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJZ) — The Department of Justice announced major funding in initiatives for programs across the U.S. on Tuesday.

More than $70 million in grant funding will be used to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty and support law enforcement and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident.

This includes $333,333 to the Maryland State Department of Education under the STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program and $200,000 to the Governor's Office of Crime Control Prevention under the STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program of Maryland.

These grants are added to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers, announced by Attorney General Sessions last week to expand and update their curriculum to support training programs.

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services was awarded $666,982 to improve criminal record systems under the National Criminal History Improvement Program, and $533,333 to support school safety in the District of Maryland.

"President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind."

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur also said the funds were an investment in programs to prevent violence by providing training and support to state partners, crisis intervention teams and first responders.

"We must do everything we can to keep our children safe in school," Hur said in the announcement.

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