MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Meridian Township and East Lansing Police departments received a grant to improve school security.

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program has awarded a combined amount of $29,865 to the police departments.

This grant program sent a solicitation out asking if schools would like funds to enhance school safety.

The Meridian Township and East Lansing Police Departments partnered together, applied for a system that would be the most helpful when responding to emergencies and were awarded the funds to purchase the equipment.

Lieutenant Ken Plaga of the Meridian Township Police Department said, "There's always room for improvement no matter what you do and we were able to identify an area that could use improvement, formulate a plan and timeline and execute that plan and timeline and the state awarded us the grant moneys."

The new technology is an emergency notification system that will immediately notify the police departments directly and school staff via text or email.

This is to reduce emergency response times to a bare minimum.

This security system will be in effect for all Haslett, Okemos and East Lansing public schools.

"We've been awarded the grant, and now we have to work with venders to get the equipment installed and in place so we're right now in the process of getting contracts in place and making the necessary arrangements to have equipment installed," Plaga added.

Criminal justice agencies throughout Michigan will receive more than $6 million in federal grants to prevent crime and the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program contributed to make this possible.