Shusterman applauds $240K in grants to enhance safety and security

PAOLI, March 11 – State Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester/Montgomery, today announced that two community organizations each received grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to enhance their safety and security measures.

Valley Forge Educational Services received a $150,000 grant and Khair Inc. received a $90,952 grant. Funds may be used toward safety and security planning, purchase of security-related technology such as metal detectors, surveillance equipment and theft control devices, threat awareness and response training and any other safety or security-related project.

“Every Pennsylvanian deserves the opportunity to learn and worship in peace,” Shusterman said. “It is disheartening that our society needs to resort to installing metal detectors at schools or members of faith-based organizations must be escorted in by a guard, but these funds will ensure people can safely practice any religion or pursue an education across the commonwealth, including right here in our community.”

The grants are provided through PCCD’s Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program following the passage of Act 83 of 2019. The act directs PCCD to administer grants to nonprofit organizations who have been or who are likely to be targets for hate crimes, according to the FBI’s 2017 Hate Crime Statistics publication. Priority consideration for funding was given to organizations that indicated they – or their membership – were victims of a hate crime or had a credible hate-crime threat. Geographic distribution of the grants was also taken into consideration.

For more information is available by calling Shusterman’s office at 484-200-8260.