WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded the Baltimore County Police Department a $1.125 million grant as part of the COPS In Schools Program.

Funding under this grant provides a maximum of $125,000, over a three-year period, to cover the salary and benefits of additional school resource officers assigned to protect schools. The Baltimore County grant is for nine new full-time positions.

"The COPS In Schools program helps provide additional resources to protect our nation’s school children. The Baltimore County Police Department will be able to install nine new officers in Baltimore County schools where they are most needed," said Rep. Cardin. a member of the Homeland Security Committee.

The grant to the Baltimore County Police Department announced today is part of $21.4 million to 24 states to hire 176 additional officers and deputies to protect the nation’s schools. To date, the COPS In Schools program has provided more than $700 million to hire and train more than 6,100 school resource officers.