Governor Greg Abbott announced the Governor’s Public Safety Office is accepting applications from law enforcement agencies for Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) travel assistance and the Bullet-Resistant Shield Grant Program for fiscal year 2023. In June, the Governor and Texas legislative leaders transferred $105.5 million to support additional school safety and mental health initiatives, including $3 million for local law enforcement agencies to offset travel expenditures for ALERRT training and $50 million for bullet-resistant shields. Applications for ALERRT travel assistance are open to independent school districts, institutions of higher education, units of local government, and other educational institutions that operate law enforcement agencies employing peace officers. Only after receiving confirmation of registration for an ALERRT course may applications for assistance be submitted. The final date to submit and certify an application is August 31, 2023.
Applications for grant funding to equip peace officers with bullet-resistant shields may be submitted by independent school districts, units of local government, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other educational institutions that operate law enforcement agencies employing peace officers. The final date to submit and certify an application for priority consideration is September 16, 2022. Additional application periods may be opened as funding permits. All peace officers provided with a grant-funded ballistic shield must have either attended 16 hours of ALERRT training within the past 24 months or committed to attend within the next 24 months.
Law enforcement agencies and local units of government that are interested in learning more about the program can view the funding announcements here.