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Lincoln Public Schools prepares application to DOJ COPS school violence prevention grant focused on training alongside Lincoln Police
Summary
LPS staff told the board they plan to apply to the U.S. Department of Justice COPS school violence prevention grant to expand joint training for school threat assessment teams and Lincoln Police, with a 25% local match to be met from existing professional learning funds.
Lincoln Public Schools staff said the district will submit an application to the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) within the U.S. Department of Justice for the School Violence Prevention Program. The district presentation emphasized that this proposal would focus on joint professional learning and training between LPS threat assessment staff and Lincoln Police Department personnel rather than equipment purchases.
Mike, the district presenter, told the board the district has used prior COPS funds to update radio equipment but said this application is intended to expand co-training opportunities under the existing Safe and Successful Kids interlocal agreement with Lincoln Police. "These training opportunities allow school administrators and our threat assessment team to go to training along with school resource officers from the Lincoln Police Department," he said during the board discussion.
Staff said the grant requires a 25% match. District officials told the board no new district funds would be required because designated professional learning funds would be used as the match. Joe Wright, LPS director of security, and Dr. Pedroza, director of federal programs, were present to answer questions.
Board members asked whether the match would be cash or in kind; staff replied the match would come from the security office's training budget. Board members also asked whether training would be shared back across the district; staff described existing local training channels including a Region 5 program called Beta and said the chief had expressed interest in sending Special Victims Unit detectives and victim-witness advocates to training if funding allowed.
The board did not take a vote on the application at the May 27 meeting; staff said the grant proposal will return to the board at a later meeting for formal action.
