MISS. SENATORS REPORT $4.5 MILLION IN COPS GRANTS FOR MS
Justice Dept. Awards Include $3.0 Million for School Violence Prevention in Seven Districts
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith reported the award of $4.5 million to Mississippi through the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.
Seven school districts in Mississippi will share $3.0 million in School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) grant funding, while another district will share part of $1.0 million awarded through the COPS Hiring program. Another $468,367 in Community Policing Development (CPD) Program funds will also be directed to Mississippi.
These federal grants will help districts across Mississippi improve security and coordination with law enforcement, Wicker said. look forward to seeing these funds enacted and a safer future for our states students.
Rising crime rates across the country affect everyone whether in urban, suburban, or rural areas. As a result, local law enforcement, including those assigned to protect schools, face unrelenting pressures. These COPS grants are intended to help ease those burdens and promote safer communities, Hyde-Smith said.
School districts may use SVPP grants for, among other things, coordination with local law enforcement; security enhancements, emergency preparedness and technology upgrades, and/or other actions to improve security in schools and school grounds. SVPP funds totaling $3,014,865 for Mississippi include 3 Delta School Districts:
• Hollandale School District $468,750
• Yazoo County School District $366,618
• Leland School District $346,500
COPS Hiring Program is a competitive grant program that provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers and deputies to enhance community policing and crime prevention. COPS Hiring Program grants worth $1,017,469 are awarded to 3 entities, 1 being the Holmes County Consolidated School District in the amount of $125,000.
