Be Safe and Sound in Schools

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), furthers the Department's mission by assisting state and local jurisdictions in improving the criminal justice system and assisting communities in preventing drug abuse and crime. In fiscal year 2007, the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program will focus on funding local, regional, and national efforts within six major categories: 1) targeting violent crime; 2) preventing crime and drug abuse; 3) enhancing local law enforcement; 4) enhancing local courts; 5) enhancing local corrections and offender reentry; and 6) facilitating justice information sharing. All categories combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime.

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) will implement the Be Safe and Sound in School (B3S) program to help school administrators design and implement collaborative strategies to address school crime issues. The B3S project is a two-pronged, comprehensive, step-by-step approach to creating safe schools and improving school safety and security. The first prong addresses physical security, concentrating on design and equipment in a way that: contributes to safety by controlling access; monitors movement; provides safe passage; and, secures facilities. The second addresses cultural and social issues by ensuring wide-reaching inclusion of all stakeholders in the school environment, including significant parental involvement. In 2004-2005, B3S was successfully piloted in nine schools in Pennsylvania. NCPC proposes to pilot the program in 12 middle schools throughout the country. The ultimate goal is to develop a model school safety program for replication nationally.

CA/NCF