STRONG Ohio Safety and Security Grant Applications?Now Being Accepted

The $8.5 million in grants are being offered as part of Governor DeWine's STRONG Ohio violence prevention plan and are funded through Ohio's 2020-2021 operating budget.

"We must take steps to better protect all of our schools, religious communities, and nonprofit organizations because they all can be targets for violence,"?said Governor DeWine. "The grants we are offering as part of my STRONG Ohio plan will help these organizations enhance their security and protect themselves from those who want to cause harm."

These funds will help cover the cost of physical security upgrades, personnel, and emergency communication equipment.?

The grants will be provided through Ohio Homeland Security and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. Both agencies are divisions of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

The deadline to apply for the funding is November 29, 2019.?

More information on the grants is available on the Ohio Emergency Management Agency's website.?

Governor DeWine announced his overall STRONG Ohio plan in August and unveiled proposed legislative changes as part of the STRONG Ohio bill last week. The bill will protect citizens and law enforcement from violence; provide more treatment options for those who are a danger to themselves or others; increase the number of background checks conducted in Ohio on private gun sales; and give local authorities broader discretion to incarcerate violent offenders for longer periods of time. More details about the STRONG Ohio bill can be found at www.governor.ohio.gov.?