School Safety and Security Program
Stored: School Safety and Security Program
| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | Bureau of Justice Assistance and Community Oriented Policing Services |
| Top Organization | Department of Justice |
| Creation Legislation | Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-159) |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | SSSP, run by state via local & tribal govs, funds evidence-based progs & tech to prevent school violence, boosting security, training school resource officers (SROs), & fostering safe learning with emergency plans & threat assessments. |
| Program Start | 2022 |
| Initial Funding | $300 million |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
The School Safety and Security Program (SSSP), established in 2022 under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, is administered jointly by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office to provide grants to improve safety at K-12 schools, allocating over $1 billion since inception to support approximately 150 projects annually by 2025. Initially funded with $300 million, it has grown to distribute $200 million in FY 2024 across 60 awards, funding initiatives like SRO training, panic alarm systems, and mental health support in schools like those in rural Montana and urban Los Angeles.[1] Despite its impact, challenges like funding delays and uneven implementation persist (web ID: 7), but it remains a key resource under DOJ’s school safety efforts.
Goals
- Prevent and respond to school violence through evidence-based safety programs and technologies.
- Train school resource officers and staff in crisis response and threat assessment.
- Foster secure, supportive learning environments for students and educators.[2]
Organization
The School Safety and Security Program is co-managed by BJA and COPS within the Department of Justice, overseen by BJA Director Karhlton Moore and COPS Director Ronald L. Davis since 2022, with state, local, and tribal grantees implementing projects under federal oversight. It operates via annual appropriations, guided by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and subsequent funding acts like Public Law 117-328 (2022).[3][4]
Partners
- National Association of School Resource Officers
- National Threat Assessment Center
- Safe and Sound Schools
- Montana Office of Public Instruction
History
Authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-159) and launched in 2022 with $300 million, the SSSP expanded with annual appropriations, reaching $200 million in FY 2024.[5] It grew from supporting 50 projects annually in 2023 to 150 by 2025, addressing school threats with innovations like panic alarms and mental health training (web ID: 0). By 2025, it has awarded over $1 billion, though GAO notes implementation challenges (web ID: 7).
Funding
Initial funding of $300 million in 2022 supported the program’s launch, with over $1 billion appropriated by 2025 via annual DOJ budgets—e.g., $200 million in FY 2024.[6] Ongoing appropriations under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act sustain its operations, with no fixed end as it addresses ongoing school safety needs.
Implementation
SSSP distributes grants annually, requiring grantees to implement evidence-based measures like SRO training, panic alarms, and emergency plans, tracked via BJA’s Performance Measurement Tool (PMT) and COPS systems.[7] It progresses through local partnerships—e.g., 150 projects yearly—and technology upgrades, adapting to school safety needs with no set end, though delays in fund disbursement remain a challenge (web ID: 7).
Related
External links
- https://bja.ojp.gov/program/school-safety-and-security-program
- https://www.nasro.org
- wikipedia:Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
Social media
- https://twitter.com/BJA_Gov
- https://twitter.com/COPSPROGRAMS
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-department-of-justice
References
- ↑ "School Safety and Security Program". Bureau of Justice Assistance. https://bja.ojp.gov/program/school-safety-and-security-program.
- ↑ "FY 2024 SSSP Factsheet". Community Oriented Policing Services. https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2024Award/SSSP_FY2024_Factsheet.pdf.
- ↑ "About BJA". Bureau of Justice Assistance. https://bja.ojp.gov/about.
- ↑ "About COPS". Community Oriented Policing Services. https://cops.usdoj.gov/about.
- ↑ "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act". U.S. Congress. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8.
- ↑ "School Safety and Security Program". Bureau of Justice Assistance. https://bja.ojp.gov/program/school-safety-and-security-program.
- ↑ "FY 2024 SSSP Solicitation". Bureau of Justice Assistance. https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2024-171584.