U.S. to Provide Funds for More Police, Improve School Safety

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. administration will provide “substantial funding” for hiring extra police to keep the country’s citizen safe and communities secure, President Donald Trump said in a White House statement on Friday.

Through the Department of Justice, the funding will be also be spent on training for active shooter situations and improving the safety of schools in the country, Trump said, without providing an estimated sum. The National Blue Alert Network, an emergency alert and early warning system, will be advanced, according to the statement.

Trump’s decision was made as the gun control debate has gained increasing attention from voters and legislators across the nation in the wake of the February mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Congress recently bolstered the federal background check system for gun purchases as part of a larger spending bill and an additional report clarified that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could study the causes of gun violence.

Trump also proclaimed May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 13-19 as Police Week. As a humble appreciation of law enforcement officers, the White House will be lit in blue on May 15.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alfred Cang in Singapore at acang@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stanley James at sjames8@bloomberg.net, John McCluskey

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