SIA applauds pending school safety initiative
By SSN Staff
Updated Fri January 17, 2014
SILVER SPRING, Md.—A school safety measure included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 could help grow investment in school safety, according to the Security Industry Association.
The act is poised for presidential approval, according to a Jan. 17 statement from SIA.
The appropriations package includes $75 million for the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative, a new program to be administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) at the U.S. Department of Justice. Of the total, $50 million would support pilot projects testing safety technologies, staff training and other initiatives. The NIJ would use the rest to evaluate the best ways to secure schools.
"The funding in the omnibus bill reflects broad agreement in principle throughout Congress that modern security technologies can save lives in the face of an active shooter at U.S. schools," SIA CEO Don Erickson said, in a prepared statement. "While school safety and security have continued to improve since the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012, leadership from the federal government will provide important guidance for more schools to make smart choices when investing in security systems. SIA looks forward to contributing to that guidance through our SIA Education Interest Group.
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