The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, along with the Georgia Department of Education, hosted the School Safety and Homeland Security Conference this week. Started in 2009, the conference is longest running conference focused on school safety. The meeting took on new significance this year, coming only a few weeks after the shooting in Uvalde, Texas in which 19 students and two teachers were killed, in addition to wounding another 17.
A number of updates to school security were announced or presented, including $2.6 million to enhance School Resource Officer (SRO) training. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), an executive agency, voted last Friday to award the funding, which will increase instructor capacity and expand the number of courses available for SROs. This year, the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) will train more than 300 SROs and is also reviewing curriculum to see if anything needs to updated in light of Uvalde.
Gov. Brian Kemp addressed the conference and reiterated his support for school safety measures and increased resources available from the state.
“As I’ve always said, and as our own state Constitution says, protecting our citizens is the paramount duty of government. No matter which zip code our students and teachers are in, their safety is of the utmost importance,” said Kemp. “That’s why we’re all here, that’s why you’ve taken the time to participate in this multi-day conference, and it’s why my administration has made securing our schools and improving Georgia’s mental health system a top priority since day one.”
The CJCC also allocated $1 million for state-wide school safety measures, including regional training, safety operation guides and professional development for SROs. They also announced a competitive grant opportunity to award $4.5 million in Law Enforcement Training Grant Funds to local and state law enforcement. These grants can be spent on school safety, de-escalation training and mental health resource needs.
“CJCC is also partnering with GEMA, GPSTC, and the Georgia Department of Education in two federal grant applications requesting $3 million to provide additional training for school staff and SROs and to improve school climate,” said Governor Kemp. “While these are the latest measures we’re taking to ensure our children’s safety, I can assure you they will not be the last. I will work with anyone, even in the midst of a heated election cycle, to protect our students.”
This all comes after a major initiative in 2019 when Governor Kemp marked $69 million for school security grants, giving every public school in the state $30,000 to help implement school security measures. The newly passed HB 103 mental health legislation may also help to bring funding into schools for mental health assistance to head off school security threats before they happen.
