Brazosport Independent School District is excited to announce that we were awarded $463,320 in grant funding for additional school safety and security measures by the School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP).
The funds will be used for additional fencing, cameras, access control, and lighting throughout the district. ”A portion will be used to add additional ZERO eyes AI (artificial intelligence) camera solutions to strategic interior areas within the district’s nineteen campuses,” said Ty Morrow, Director of Safety and Security and Emergency Management. Currently, ZERO eyes is being deployed to a total of 152 exterior cameras within the district’s nineteen campus locations. The technology can detect weapons captured by the security camera and alert security staff.
Funding from the grant will also be utilized to purchase two portable security surveillance trailers (pictured) that can be towed to any location as needed throughout the district. “We will be able to utilize the trailers at events such as football games and graduations, making our big events even more secure,” BISD Police Chief Wade Nichols added.
BISD is one of only 28 districts in Texas, and five within the Houston area to be awarded funding as part of the SVPP grant, which totals $1.3 million dollars.
Houston Area Districts Receiving Funding from SVPP include:
- Alief Independent School District: $486,000
- Brazosport Independent School District: $463,320
- High Island Independent School District: $82,500
- Santa Fe School District: $150,000
- Spring Branch Independent School District (Incorporated): $122,889
The 2019 BISD Bond, approved by voters, included $7.7 million that the district has utilized to improve safety and security at our campuses and facilities. Receiving this federal grant is evidence that we remain committed to ensuring our facilities are safe and secure with the latest technology by seeking funding opportunities that further enhance the safety and security systems that the District already has in place.
SVPP was founded by the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), which were authorized by US Sen. John Cornyn’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, signed into law June 25, 2022. The legislation addresses specific concerns that may have led to recent mass shootings, including the need for additional mental health services and school safety resources.
