Sorensen Announces $500,000 for Freeport to Keep Students Safe at School

ROCKFORD, IL – As we approach the start of National Crime Prevention Month, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) is announcing $500,000 for the City of Freeport to improve security of their schools and school grounds.  

“When parents put their kids on the school bus every morning, they need to be able to trust that their kids will be safe,” said Sorensen. “This important funding coming to Freeport will make sure that every child can go to school in a safe environment, where they can focus on learning and being the best students they can be. I will always work to bring tax dollars back home to Northern Illinois so that our young people have the opportunity to grow in safe communities, schools, and neighborhoods.”   

“We thank Congressman Sorensen for bringing these unique and necessary grant monies to our community,” said City Manager Rob Boyer. “Freeport schools will benefit immediately from added safety measures, which ultimately helps our residents all over the City to feel more at peace with their youth attending our schools.” 

The $500,000 in funding for the City of Freeport is coming from the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP), which provides funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds through evidence-based school safety programs.  

This past May, Sorensen led a group of 24 of his colleagues in calling on Congress to fully fund the COPS program in direct response to roundtable discussions and meetings he has hosted with law enforcement from across Central and Northwestern Illinois.   

Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.

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