Attorney General Sessions Announces $25 Million In Additional School Safety Funds, Saying Grants ‘Will Serve Both Safety And Peace Of Mind’

Attorney General Sessions Announces $25 Million in Additional School Safety Funds, Saying Grants ‘Will Serve Both Safety and Peace of Mind’

Attorney General Jeff Sessions officially declared on Monday that the Department of Justice will allocate millions of dollars in additional funding towards school safety programs targeting the reduction of gun violence in schools across the nation.

During a speech at the annual conference of the National Association of School Resource Officers in Reno, Nevada, Sessions pledged an additional $25 million in funding to enhance training and implement better technology for emergency reporting. This funding is in addition to the annual $50 million already designated under the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in March. The funding aims to support the development and implementation of reporting systems, school threat assessments, and the use of technology like metal detectors.

"We believe that this funding can be extremely beneficial. These grants will contribute to both the safety and peace of mind of students, teachers, and officers," stated Sessions, who is one of the four cabinet secretaries serving on the federal School Safety Commission. It is unclear whether the $25 million will be provided on an annual basis or as a one-time allocation.

Advocates of the STOP School Violence Act argue that it will provide resources to prevent tragedies involving guns in schools. However, opponents argue that it fails to address the main issue of gun control. There is limited evidence that investing in enhanced technology effectively prevents such attacks.

In addition, Sessions emphasized the heroic efforts of school resource officers in stopping or mitigating the severity of recent gun incidents in schools. Sessions mentioned Deputy Blaine Gaskill of St. Mary’s County, Maryland, who swiftly stopped a school shooter moments before he began firing in March. He also recognized Deputy James Long of Marion County, Florida, who apprehended a suspect within three minutes of hearing a gunshot at his school in April. Just a month ago, Officer Mark Dallas of Dixon, Illinois, confronted a shooter who was about to enter a school gymnasium where hundreds of students were practicing for graduation. Dallas exchanged fire with the gunman and successfully subdued him. All eligible Dixon High School students graduated the following Sunday.

"Each one of you has gone above and beyond the call of duty, and each one of you has an inspiring story to share," expressed Sessions.

Although there were no mentions of other school resource officers in Monday’s address, Officer John Barnes, for instance, sustained a nonfatal gunshot wound while confronting and engaging the shooter who killed 10 people in May’s attack at Sante Fe High School in Texas. According to the National Association of School Resource Officers, there are between 14,000 and 20,000 school resource officers in approximately 30 percent of the country’s schools.

Towards the end of his speech, which lasted approximately 25 minutes, Sessions shifted the conversation from school safety to the contentious topic of illegal immigration. Sessions emphasized that the recent crackdown by the administration is focused on individuals who enter the country illegally. He reiterated the administration’s long-standing claim that large numbers of criminals, gangs, and drug dealers are crossing the border without facing appropriate legal consequences.

This focus on immigration comes in the midst of significant criticism from all sides of the political spectrum regarding the administration’s "zero tolerance" approach to immigration policy. This policy resulted in the separation of around 2,000 children from their families between April and May alone. Sessions caused controversy earlier this month by citing a Bible verse to justify the policy.

Although the administration announced last Wednesday that it would cease separating families, President Trump expressed on Twitter his desire for the immediate deportation of illegal immigrants "with no judges or court cases."

As tensions continue to rise, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Peppermill Resort in Reno before Sessions’s speech, with some attempting to prevent his entry. Protest signs included messages such as "ABOLISH ICE" and "Lock Sessions & Trump Up."

"It is crucial to show our support for the immigrant community," stated one protester to KRNV News 4. "We genuinely care about these people."

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