DELAWARE- A grant of over $1 million dollars will be going to help protect those in Delaware from gun crimes.
U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) today announced the grant which comes from last year’s landmark bipartisan gun bill. Senator Coons was a key negotiator on last year’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and led talks on state red flag provisions.
Earlier this month, the Department of Justice announced a $1.3 million grant to ensure Delaware law enforcement officers are trained thoroughly in the implementation of crisis intervention and the state’s red flag law. Delaware passed its red flag law in 2018 to help officers identify and secure weapons from individuals who are deemed to pose an imminent threat to themselves or others.
The grant money is authorized through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which President Biden signed into law last year. The bill was the largest gun safety bill passed by Congress in nearly 30 years. Senator Coons was a vital member of the 20-senator bipartisan group that helped negotiate the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and led the effort within the group to include a provision providing states like Delaware, which passed their own red flag laws, with funding to implement them.
“Red flag laws help law enforcement keep weapons out of the hands of dangerous individuals at the most critical moments. That’s why I was proud to help negotiate last year’s gun safety legislation, and have worked tirelessly to make sure states like Delaware would receive the resources they need to properly implement these laws,” said Senator Coons. “I’m so excited to see these funds finally coming to the states that need them, and I’m glad to know that Delaware’s men and women in uniform will be even more prepared to address the scourge of gun violence in the First State.”
“Last year, we broke nearly 30 years of congressional inaction on commonsense gun reform by passing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and I am thrilled to see that funding is on the way to help bolster gun safety laws in our state,” said Senator Carper. “We need to continue the push to prevent gun violence in Delaware and across the country, and this new funding for the implementation of red flag laws is a great example of how the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will help make our communities safer.”