Letter to the Hon. Jeff Sessions, Attorney General - Implement STOP School Violence Act

Letter

Dear Attorney General Sessions:

We write in support of the expeditious implementation of the STOP School Violence Act and other school security grant programs authorized and funded in the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018.

As you know, the Fiscal Year 2018 (FY2018) appropriations legislation authorizes and funds grants through the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). Once fully implemented, these initiatives will provide new sources of funding for programs, technology, and equipment that enhance school safety, including threat assessment teams, safety infrastructure, and training for students, teachers, and law enforcement to help identify signs of violence and teach early intervention methods to prevent violence from occurring in the first place.

The safety of our students and our schools is a top priority not just for us in Congress, but also for our communities back home. Having met with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and law enforcement officials from across our districts, we know that they appreciate the federal government's commitment to supporting evidence-based strategies to enhance safety and prevent violence. The message is universal: these resources are needed as quickly as possible.

Given the pressing interest in utilizing these resources, we ask that the BJA and COPS offices will work with us to promote awareness of these funding opportunities and eligibility guidelines to our states, localities, and tribes. Guidance resources and related technical assistance should be made quickly and readily available to allow applicants adequate time to develop effective proposals for your consideration. Resources should also include programs and technologies that have a demonstrated record of effectiveness, drawing from an array of best practice information identified by the federal government, state task forces, and public and private commissions. We have an obligation to our students and teachers to ensure that these resources are deployed in the most efficient and effective manner to enhance the safety of our communities.

The sooner the FY2018 resources may be made available, the sooner we are taking real action to keep our school campuses safe from harm. We would like to thank you for the work that you and your fellow cabinet members on the Federal Commission on School Safety are doing to advance our ongoing commitment to the safety of our students. Please know we stand ready to work alongside you.

Very Respectfully,


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