Marietta police use grant to hire 2 school gang officers

Marietta police will use a U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Service grant to fund the salaries and equipment of two school gang officers.

Marietta police will use a U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Service grant to fund the salaries and equipment of two school gang officers.

The Marietta Police Department wants to use a grant to hire two officers who will identify and address issues caused by gang activity.

The city is working with Marietta City Schools to obtain a U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Service grant, which will cover the cost of two new officers.

The $250,000 grant includes matching dollars from the city and school system that will be funded over a four-year period. After the grant expires, the costs will be absorbed by both entities.

Marietta say the COPS grant was originally set up to prevent and fight gangs. While the department said there is not a gang problem in schools, it said there are “concerning gang trends” in metro Atlanta.

READMarietta elementary schools to be monitored by police officers

Two Marietta officers who have experience in gang abatement will supplement three school resource officers and a supervisor. These cops, who will be called school gang officers, will work with faculty and administrators to identify gang members or address issues that harm the learning environment, police said.

Marietta police said the grant will allow the department to reassign two existing school resource officers to Marietta elementary schools. The elementary officers will “be able to interact with our children starting at an early age, building a strong foundation between the children and their local law enforcement,” police said.

“We are incredibly proud and appreciative of our partnership with the Marietta Police Department,” said Superintendent Dr. Grant Rivera. “The school resource officers in our schools are role models who positively impact our students’ lives while ensuring the safety and well-being of all in our community.”

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