Photo: Dan Goldblatt/WFIU News
An increase in funding for school safety has been one of Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller's primary issues this year.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller says school safety should be a top priority in Indiana. Zoeller says he‘s hoping the General Assembly will push through Senate Bill 1.
The measure would provide at least $10 million in matching grant money for Indiana schools to hire more school resource officers. This in response to growing school violence across the nation, the shooting at Sandy Hook School in Connecticut garnering the most attention of late.
Zoeller says the state funding is significant.
“It could reach pretty far,” he says. “There are already alot of school resource officers in place. There are alot of schools that I‘ve been talking to that are looking to prioritize their own local funds.”
Zoeller says lawmakers may be able to come up with more than $10 million. The matching grants for individual schools would be $50,000. Zoeller says he‘s confident lawmakers will completely support the measure.
“I think the state of Indiana needs to do more in the whole area of focusing on our responsibilities to protect children in the state of Indiana,” he says.
Zoeller spoke during a break of the 3rd annual Criminal and Civil Justice Summit which took place at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.
