U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

 Fact Sheet www.cops.usdoj.gov

September 2020

2020 COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program

The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program 

(SVPP) is a competitive award program designed to provide funding to improve security at schools and on school 

grounds in the grantee’s jurisdiction through evidence-based 

school safety programs.

Background

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

(COPS Office) has long demonstrated a commitment to 

school safety and to ensuring student success in supportive, 

safe environments. The COPS Office invested more than 

$900 million in American schools through previous grant 

programs such as Secure Our Schools, COPS in Schools, 

School-Based Partnerships, and the Safe School Initiative. Up to $50 million in SVPP funding was available 

in FY 2020 to provide states, units of local government, 

Indian tribes and its public the opportunity to establish and 

enhance a variety of school safety equipment and programs 

to encourage the continuation and enhancement of school 

safety efforts to prevent violence in their communities.

Funding provisions

The COPS Office STOP School Violence: SVPP provides 

funding directly to states, units of local government, Indian 

tribes, and its public agencies to be used to improve security 

at schools and on school grounds in the grantees’ jurisdictions through evidence-based school safety programs that 

may include one or more of the following:

Coordination with local law enforcement

Training for local law enforcement officers to prevent 

school violence against others and self

Placement and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting, and 

other deterrent measures

Acquisition and installation of technology for expedited 

notification of local law enforcement during an emergency

Any other measure that, in the determination of the 

director of the COPS Office, may provide a significant 

improvement in security

Applicants were required to submit a project description 

and a budget narrative. The project description must have 

addressed the following elements: current school safety and 

planning efforts, funding request and integration, management and implementation plan, and a sustainability plan. 

Applicants were also required to submit a budget narrative the detailed how the requested items would be used in 

implementing the proposed SVPP project.

2020 Highlights

There were 502 applications received from jurisdictions in 

49 states and the District of Columbia. 

There were 160 awards made to counties, cities, school 

districts, and tribes totaling $48,987,300.

Rural jurisdictions received 50 percent of awards, suburban jurisdictions 32 percent, and urban jurisdictions18 

percent.

More than 3,000 schools and more than 2.3 million 

students will benefit from the funded projects.
Application Statistics

Eligible applications 502

States represented 49

Average federal request $295,000

Award Statistics

Number of awards 160

States represented 42

Average award amount $306,148

Award Impacts and Demographics*

Schools impacted 3,330

Students impacted 2,346,538

Percent rural 50

Percent suburban 32

Percent urban 21

* As reported by applicants

2

2019 COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program

Contact the COPS Office

For more information about the COPS Office 

School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP), 

please call the COPS Office Response Center at 

800-421-6770 or visit the COPS Office website at 

www.cops.usdoj.gov.

September 2020