SAN BERNARDINO, CA — Rep. Pete Aguilar today announced $336,147 for the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s (SBCUSD) School Violence Prevention Program. This funding from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) will give students in the City of San Bernardino the ability to learn in a safe and nurturing environment.

“As a father of two, I understand the uncertainty parents feel when they send their kids off to school every morning,” Rep. Aguilar said. “I am proud to announce funding that will help protect students and give teachers a safe place to promote learning.”

Continued funding of this program will help build stronger relationships between our community and law enforcement while protecting our students and teachers.

“Providing safe and secure learning environments for our students is of paramount importance to the San Bernardino City Unified School District, as is forging goodwill between school police and the community it serves,” Chief of Police Joseph Paulino, San Bernardino City Unified District Police Department said. “The more than $300,000 awarded to our District through the COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program will make a significant difference for our students and our school community. The training for our School District Police officers and the crime deterrents we will put in place will make our schools safer and give teachers and students peace of mind so they can focus on teaching and learning.”

This grant award came after Rep. Aguilar wrote a letter to the DOJ advocating for this funding.

Rep. Aguilar serves as the Vice Chair of the Democratic Congress and as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, the committee responsible for funding federal programs and agencies.