The Wichita City Council narrowly approved a motion allowing the Police Department to apply for grant funding designed to keep Wichita Public schools safe.
The $500 thousand grant, available through the Department of Justice's School Violence Prevention Program, would allow the department to purchase and implement school safety and public notification technology. The data would be sent to the WPD Real-Time Information Center and Sedgwick County Emergency Communications.
Some residents voiced concerns about extra surveillance in schools and transparency about the plan.
Council member Becky Tuttle says the city has an entire webpage regarding transparency concerns residents have.
Wichita Police confirmed no cameras would be installed.
A part of the motion stipulated that a cost-sharing plan between the city and Wichita Public Schools would be established to cover the local 25 percent match required from the federal grant. The funding, if awarded in full, would help cover all secondary schools and alternative education centers in the district.
