Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold announced today that Wisconsin will receive more than $1 million in Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants for school safety and to protect children from sexual predators.  The cities of Baraboo, Janesville, Madison, Mishicot, Shorewood and Superior will receive a total of $790,503 in grants from the COPS Secure Our Schools program to assist with school safety resources and equipment such as metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures, security assessments, security training of personnel and students, coordination with local law enforcement, and other measures that may provide a significant increase in security.  Additionally, the Milwaukee Police Department will receive $400,431 in grants for the COPS Child Sexual Predator Program to help locate, arrest, and prosecute child sexual predators and exploiters, and enforce state sex offender registration laws.  Feingold isa strong supporter of the COPS program and fought continued efforts by the Bush administration to eliminate this crucial funding.

“This funding is vital for Wisconsin law enforcement agencies to protect our children, our schools and our communities,” Feingold said.  “I’ve heard time and again from Wisconsin police chiefs, sheriffs and others law enforcement officials about the importance of COPS grants.  I will continue to support these programs that our law enforcement officers depend on to keep Wisconsin communities safe.”

The funding breakdown of the COPS grants is as follows:

COPS Secure our Schools Program Grants:
Baraboo, City of $122,964
Janesville, City of $24,000
Madison Police Department $125,170
Mishicot Police Department $49,614
Shorewood Police Department $330,069
Superior, City of $138,686
WI COPS SOS Program Total: $790,503

COPS Child Sexual Predator Program Grant:
Milwaukee Police Department $400,341
WI CSPP Total: $400,341