September 12, 2008

Smith: Grand Island Police Department to Receive $95,000 School Safety Grant

WASHINGTON DC — Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) today announced the Grand Island Police Department will receive $95,612 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), as part of the COPS Secure Our Schools program, which is intended to support efforts to improve school security.  Grand Island is the only community in Nebraska receiving this grant award.
 
The funding will be used to purchase interior and exterior video surveillance systems in the Grand Island Public Schools for Dodge, Howard, Lincoln, and Wasmer Elementary Schools.
 
The Grand Island Public Schools will provide required matching funds of $95,612.  The Grand Island Police Department will have remote Internet-based access to the video surveillance systems.  The school district currently has video surveillance systems at its three middle schools and Grand Island Senior High School.
 
A team comprised of Captains Pete Kortum and Robert Falldorf from the Grand Island Police Department; Dan Petsch, the school district’s Coordinator of Buildings and Grounds; and Carol Bryant, grant development facilitator for the school district, prepared the application.
 
“The safety and well-being of our students is an integral part of their education.  I want to congratulate everyone – especially our first responders and educators – involved in the safety of our students and those involved in this application process, and thank them for their time and efforts,” Smith said.

 
The funding is part of $14.4 million in school safety resource grants to assist 143 local law enforcement agencies in 34 states with school safety measures.  In addition to funding school safety projects, COPS supports innovative local community policing initiatives, funds the purchase of crime-fighting technology, and funds the hiring of local law enforcement officers.
 
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Contact: Charles Isom

202-225-6435