N.C. schools get safety grants

Several state school systems will be better equipped to ensure students' safety while on school grounds.

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., announced Friday that $237,966 in grants from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Community Oriented Policing Services will be given to N.C. schools.

Five school systems in the state received funding ranging from the $142,660 given to the Orange County Sheriff's Department to the $10,000 granted to the City of Raleigh.

The COPS Secure Our Schools program gave $14.7 million to 187 groups across the nation for the enhancement of school safety, according to a COPS press release.

The program provides up to 50 percent of the cost for a security program requested via application.

"The jurisdiction of the area has to kick in," said Gilbert Moore, public affairs spokesman for COPS. "We're giving them half."

He said the funding is for enhancement of schools' infrastructure and security.

"This is something that they do regularly to help with metal detectors and things like that, that schools didn't use 15 years ago," said Doug Heye, spokesman for Burr. "Or (it can be used) for other things that their pressing needs might be in different counties and different schools."

Most counties, including Orange, will use the funding for surveillance systems.

"We applied for the grant back about four months ago to upgrade the security system at our middle schools and high schools," said Orange County Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass.

"They are in a dire need of video surveillance monitors outside and inside the schools as well as using them for safety and security for people coming onto the grounds during the day. And they will be able to monitor them from a central location."

He said having surveillance systems will discourage students from misbehaving on campus and allow school officials to intervene quickly if rules or laws are broken.

Pendergrass pointed to an incident a few years ago when a criminal jumped bail and ran into a school building. He said better security would have prevented the situation.

But Raleigh officials are taking a different approach for Wake County Schools.

Jim Sughrue, spokesman for the Raleigh Police Department, said gangs are an emerging issue in Wake County. He said he hopes a new gang prevention program, which will go into effect this school year, will help decrease gang activity.

"The money will be used to design and print brochures and posters in both English and Spanish, and to make copies of a gang video that is being produced by the schools," Sughrue said. "It will provide education and info to students about the dangers of gang involvement including elementary, middle and high school students."

The Raleigh City Council provided funding for a gang unit two years ago in response to the increased activity.

Lee County will use its $21,255 for both surveillance equipment and prevention.

"It is for several schools that don't have digital recording ability on the security cameras," said Barbara Wilson, director of student services for Lee County Public Schools. "That would get rid of the old VCRs and monitors and put in digital so we don't lose the information."

She said that some schools already have digital capabilities but that this will allow all schools in the district to have it.

Wilson said the school system also will use the money for emergency management and crisis training in the schools.

"Prevention is just as important as being able to react to something, so we're trying to keep it from happening or prevent us from being in a bind," she said.

"We're getting our equipment updated and our people informed."

 

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.