Temple University Police Department receives $1.7 million for campus security upgrades

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A state grant using federal funds will help Temple University become a safer campus.

A statement from Temple said the money comes under the Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program. The program was established in 2022 to administer federal American Rescue Plan Act funding as grants to local law enforcement agencies. It gives priority consideration to items and activities that have a positive impact on reducing violent crime or improving clearance rates.

State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) advocated for the funding in the wake of the shooting death of Temple Police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald last month.

“How can we honor the life of such a positive role model and take steps to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening again? We can put the guns down, we can invest in our communities and our young people,” Hughes said in a statement. “We can make sure more resources, like this grant, make their way to the Temple University Police Department so that its officers are equipped with what they need to stay safe while protecting and serving the Temple community.”

Temple says the money will be used for technology enhancements, including gunshot detection devices, license plate readers, closed-circuit television cameras, and upgrades to the Police Department’s Record Management System/National Incident-based Record System.

The grant also covers police officer-related initiatives, including: retention and recruitment bonuses, crisis intervention and de-escalation training, and rape aggression defense instruction training.

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