HOUSTON — Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced a grant program that will fund ballistic shields and travel reimbursements for Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training.
The money comes from $105.5 million, Abbott and state lawmakers set aside after the Uvalde shooting.
In the video from Uvalde, you can see ballistic shields in the hands of officers positioned in the hallway.
“The shield doesn’t do anything to mitigate why we have active shooters, it doesn’t stop the person with the gun from going in and shooting. It allows and helps officers to respond to that shooting after it happened," retired Chief of the Texas Rangers Tony Leal said.
It’s the response, that state lawmakers are funding. From the money, $50 million will go to a grant program to fund ballistic shields and $3 million will go towards ALERRT travel reimbursements.
In an interview before the school year began, Houston ISD’s Police Chief Pedro Lopez Jr. echoed the need for more funding.
“The most challenging thing to overcome is the lack of resources. When I say lack of resources, it’s in equipment and in training," Lopez Jr. said.
At a board meeting earlier this month, HISD passed a $2.3 million package to pay for ballistic shields, rifles and two-way radios.
After Abbott's announcement, the district said it will consider the grant as an additional funding option.
But remember, Leal points out, the officers in Uvalde had shields. He said equipment alone won’t prevent a shooting.
“We are treating an active shooter as something that’s inevitable – like a hurricane, it would be like we are going to issue plywood to every citizen in Houston because sooner or later there’s going to be a hurricane," Leal said.
School districts don’t have long to apply. The deadline is one month away -- on Sept. 16. The other requirement is all officers given shields must attend ALERRT training.