For Immediate Release
July 28, 2005
CONTACT: Gilbert Moore
(202) 616-1728
COPS OFFICE ANNOUNCES $5.4 MILLION IN GRANTS TO HIRE NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN AMERICA'S SCHOOLS
44 Officers to Walk a New Beat
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) today announced
grants totaling $5.4 million to add 44 additional School Resource Officers (SRO) to the nation’s schools. These grants
are being awarded to 15 law enforcement agencies in 13 states.
Today’s grants were awarded through the COPS In Schools program, which funds the hiring of community policing officers
assigned to a school or school district. The grants provide a maximum of $125,000 toward the salary and benefits of
each new officer over three years. COPS also provides school safety training for the officer and an administrator from
the school to which the officer will be assigned.
The specific duties of an SRO are determined locally based on community needs. SROs support the education process by
contributing to classes on state and local law, health classes about substance abuse, and driver education instruction.
SROs in some communities also monitor and mentor troubled students, serve as coaches, and remain on-duty during school
sponsored extracurricular activities.
"If you talk to any SROs they will tell you that their presence in schools deters violence, breaks down barriers between
law enforcement and youth, and can lead to the resolution of many crimes committed outside of the school,"
said COPS Director Carl R. Peed.
Including today’s grants, the COPS In Schools program has provided more than $753 million to fund and train over 6,600 SROs.
For additional information, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
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