SVPP Grants Opening Soon

Grants from the COPS Office of School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) to help improve school security will open to applications in March.

States, units of local government, Indian tribes, and their public agencies, including public school districts, school boards; and law enforcement agencies are eligible to apply for one of the estimated 235 awards.

Awards will be made up to $500K over three years, with a local cash match requirement of at least 25 percent.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice 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.

More than $20 billion has been appropriated to the COPS Office to help advance community policing since 1994.

The purpose of the COPS Office of School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) is to improve security at schools and on school grounds through the implementation of evidence-based school safety programs and technology.

Awards through this program will contribute to this goal by funding projects which include funding of civilian personnel to serve as coordinators with local law enforcement, training for local law enforcement officers, purchase and installation of certain allowable equipment and technology, and other measures to significantly improve school security.

Anticipated outcomes of SVPP awards include improved information sharing with local law enforcement; increased interaction and improved communications between law enforcement and school officials; reduced notification times to law enforcement; improved response time to threats and events; accurate identification of danger and follow up; increased knowledge of and use of community policing principles; and increased school safety and sustainability planning efforts. All these outcomes should be achieved without resorting to discriminatory stereotypes or violating privacy.

As a condition of funding, if awarded, recipients must conduct comprehensive school safety assessments during the grant award period for all schools involved in the project. These assessments must inform the measures necessary to improve school safety and ensure a safe and positive learning environment for students free of discrimination and protective of student privacy.

Visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/svpp for more information and to apply for the grant when it opens in March.