Below is a press release from Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker:
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., recently 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. “I look forward to seeing these funds enacted and a safer future for our state’s 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:
Chickasaw County School District – $498,744
Lauderdale County School District – $498,744
Union County School District – $495,753
Hollandale School District – $468,750
Yazoo County School District – $366,618
Leland School District – $346,500
Newton City Schools – $339,756
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:
City of Natchez – $768,319
Holmes County Consolidated School District – $125,000
City of Picayune – $124,150
CPD grants, used to support creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities, have been awarded to:
City of Jackson – $174,000
University of Mississippi Medical Center – $160,000
Forrest County – $74,999
Pearl River Valley Water Supply District, Ridgeland – $58,000
