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Norton council authorizes applications for police radios and school safety grants
Summary
The Norton City Council authorized applications for a federal Byrne equipment grant to replace aging police radios and approved grant applications to fund a School Resource Officer at John I. Burton High School and a School Safety Officer at Norton Elementary and Middle School. The council approved the measures by unanimous votes.
NORTON, Va. — Norton City Council on March 3 authorized the Norton Police Department to apply for an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to replace its portable radios and approved separate grant submissions to fund school safety officers.
Assistant Police Chief Greg Mays told council the department is eligible to apply for up to $33,333 through VDCJS; the department requested $32,959.44 to purchase 21 Kenwood portable radios and two charging stations. The grant requires a 25% local match of $8,239.86. City Manager and Clerk Jeffery A. Shupe said the grant period runs from June 1, 2026, through September 2027 and that awards are expected in May or June.
Council also authorized city administration to submit a VDCJS application for a School Resource Officer (SRO) at John I. Burton High School for the July 2026–June 2027 grant period. Shupe confirmed the total grant package for the SRO position at the high school at $83,239 and noted an SRO has been assigned there since 2016, with three of those years funded without grant support. Separately, council approved an application for a School Safety Officer (SSO) at Norton Elementary and Middle School; Norton City Schools would serve as the grant administrator and the SSO would be a school employee while the city acts as fiscal agent.
All three authorizations passed on unanimous roll-call votes with no council questions during the presentations. The police-equipment request included vendor quotes for Motorola and Kenwood radios; staff recommended Kenwood as the more feasible option.
Next steps: city administration will submit the grant applications by their respective deadlines; awards and any required local appropriations will be reported to council when received.
