Find Out About Federal Funds For Schools For Panic Devices
Are You Aware - Schools across the country can get up to $200,000 in federal funds to buy panic buttons that would alert law enforcement of an emergency faster. Now that school is out for the summer, it's a good time to check into what funding is available. New technology can be used to safeguard our kids before a threat happens.
Tucked away in the omnibus spending bill that President Donald Trump signed Friday was language that allows for Department of Justice grants to pay for schools to buy devices similar to the panic buttons that are in banks.
The Department of Justice would cover 75 percent of the cost of the devices initial installation up to $200,000, which is what Illinois Congressman Mike Bosts office, who wrote the original bill, said is the approximate cost for the systems. Total costs would vary depending on the size of the district. Some security systems require a phone connection to maintain a communication between it and law enforcement. The DOJ grant would not help with that cost, according to the laws language.
Legislators in Illinois like Bost, a Belleville Republican and former first responder himself, told House members that the technology would give first responders valuable time to address an unfolding emergency.
We already have panic buttons to protect investments in our banks, he said in March. Theres no greater investment in the country than our children.
Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Deerfield, supported the bill. He said that it will make school safer for students.
The technology will ensure students and teachers will have a more immediate method of notifying law enforcement and first responders in case of a medical emergency, an active school shooter incident or natural disaster, he said.
Intentional misuse of the panic buttons, similar to misuse of fire alarms, would be handled by local officials, Bost's office said.
Grants
The Department of Justice offers funding opportunities to support law enforcement and public safety activities in state, local, and tribal jurisdictions; to assist victims of crime; to provide training and technical assistance; to conduct research; and to implement programs that improve the criminal, civil, and juvenile justice systems.
Supporting Communities After Mass Violence Incidents
Communities that have been affected by mass violence incidents may be able to apply for assistance through several DOJ grants.
Learn more about the new Program Plan
The DOJ Program Plan is a tool to help applicants and grantees find funding opportunities (solicitations) managed by the DOJ grant-making components that address their criminal, juvenile, and civil justice needs.
DOJ Grant Agency Sites
COPS Seal - The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation's state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources. The COPS Office awards grants to hire community policing professionals, develop and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training and technical assistance to community members, local government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement.
OJP Seal - Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. Therefore, OJP does not directly carry out law enforcement and justice activities. Instead, OJP works in partnership with the justice community to identify the most pressing crime-related challenges confronting the justice system and to provide information, training, coordination, and innovative strategies and approaches for addressing these challenges. OJPs goals are to strengthen partnerships with state, local and tribal stakeholders; ensure integrity of, and respect for, science - including a focus on evidence-based, "smart on crime" approaches in criminal and juvenile justice; and administer OJPs grant awards process in a fair, accessible and transparent fashion - and, as good stewards of federal funds, manage the grants system in a manner that avoids waste, fraud and abuse. Visit the OJP bureaus and program offices listed below:
- Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
- National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
- Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART)
- Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
The National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), supported by OJP, offers a range of services and resources to meet the information needs of anyone interested in criminal and juvenile justice, victim assistance, and public safety.
The mission of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is to provide federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. OVW administers grant programs to help provide victims with the protection and services they need to pursue safe and healthy lives, while simultaneously enabling communities to hold offenders accountable for their violence. Funding is provided to local, state and tribal governments; courts; non-profit organizations; community-based organizations; secondary schools; institutions of higher education; and state and tribal coalitions. These entities work toward developing more effective responses to violence against women through activities that include direct services, crisis intervention, transitional housing, legal assistance to victims, court improvement, and training for law enforcement and courts. They also work with specific populations such as elder victims, persons with disabilities, college students, teens, and culturally and linguistically specific populations.
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