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Virginia has allocated $12 million in School Security Equipment Grants to 433 schools across 99 school divisions, representing the state’s latest investment in educational safety infrastructure. The Virginia Department of Education announced on October 9 the funding distribution, which brings total security infrastructure investments to $60 million since fiscal year 2022. A total of 1,132 public schools have received enhanced security funding during this period. How Are Virginia’s School Security Grants Distributed? School divisions received grants through a competitive application process, with awards capping at $250,000 per division. The Virginia Department of Education and Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services evaluated applications based on specific criteria prioritizing schools with the greatest security needs. Evaluation factors included: Schools with higher offense rates Identified equipment gaps from security audits Limited local resources for security upgrades Overall equipment needs assessment Types of Security Equipment and Technology Funded The grants fund various security technologies designed to enhance campus safety and emergency response capabilities. Approved equipment categories include: Voice and video internal communication systems Mass notification systems Security card access and visitor ID badging systems Surveillance cameras and two-way radios Secure vestibules Interior and bus-mounted cameras Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson stated that the funding addresses parental concerns about student safety while enabling educators to maintain their focus on instruction. The grants target infrastructure improvements including secure entrances, updated surveillance systems and modern safety equipment. The 2025-2026 grant cycle covers schools across 99 school divisions, demonstrating broad geographic distribution of security funding throughout Virginia. Recipients were selected based on ranked application scores derived from competitive criteria developed by state education and criminal justice agencies. The funding represents continued state investment in educational security infrastructure, with participating schools ranging from those with documented security deficiencies to facilities requiring equipment updates to meet current safety standards. The grant amounts range from just under $6,000 to $250,000. The school divisions receiving the largest grants include: Accomack County Amelia County Fairfax County Fauquier County Harrisonburg City Henrico County Hopewell City Newport News City Orange County Spotsylvania County York County Click here to review all of the grant awards for 2025-2026. The post Virginia Awards $12 Million in Security Grants to 433 Schools appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.

UNIONTOWN, Ohio — SSI 2025 Installer of the Year Securitas Technology has released its 2026 Global Technology Outlook Report, its eight annual look at the state of security technology and the trends shaping the future of security investments over the coming years. The 2026 Global Technology Outlook Report offers “perspective and research on the trends driving the electronic security industry,” according to the company announcement. It is the result of a combination of survey data of Securitas Technology clients and other end user decision makers on security technology investments across multiple markets; contributions from security product manufacturers and technologists around the world; and other expert insights across multiple technical disciplines. “The Technology Outlook Report is grounded in our commitment to innovation, our deep connection to our clients and industry partners and our data-based thought leadership,” says Tony Byerly, global president and CEO of Securitas Technology, in the company announcement. “Our goal at Securitas Technology is to continue to be a trusted advisor in security technology, helping clients stay ahead of the evolving trends and topics shaping the future of the security industry,” he says. “For eight years now, the Technology Outlook Report has delivered those insights to our clients across the globe and the security industry as a whole.” What’s Inside the Securitas Global Technology Outlook? The 2026 Global Technology Outlook Report identifies “three key technology trends that will influence innovation and development by manufacturers and industry technologists as well as client buying decisions over the next several years: The rapid advancement in the use of artificial intelligence with the emergence of generative AI (GenAI) for natural language searches, contextual understanding and a range of automations Cloud-based security systems as mainstream, with organizations focused on migration from on-premise infrastructure to the cloud for centralized management and improved scalability Advanced sensors finding wider adoption, as organizations seek to monitor a wider range of factors to support compliance, improve efficiency, foster sustainability and enhance client and employee experiences The report also uncovers some of the major factors that are guiding security technology investment across industries and regions: Responding to increased volatility in the security environment through a focus on improving employee safety and crisis communications alongside strategies for risk intelligence, emergency preparedness, and disaster recovery Proactive strategies for incident response through alarm management tools integrating multiple data sources, AI virtual agents for automation and human agent support, as well as threat anticipation Deriving new value from security technology as systems leverage deep integrations with other business systems and the security function supports a wider range of organizational goals and needs, such as employee and customer experience, business and operational intelligence and sustainability, among others The 2026 Global Technology Outlook Report accumulates data from more than 4,500 clients in 17 countries on their technology plans. This data combines with responses from an external market survey with more than 575 end user decision makers in the United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Australia. Among the end user insights in the report are: Artificial intelligence is the top technology for investment in the next year (selected by 30% of respondents) Cloud adoption: 18% of organizations are fully cloud-based for security technology today and 34% expect to be fully cloud based within five years 48% of organizations are already using advanced sensors in their security program, and a further 35% plan to implement them in the next 12-18 months “This year’s report is packed with rich data sets and trends, enabling us to provide clear insights on…

In today’s Best Advice Q&A, we talk to Chris Hugman, founder and chief executive officer of System Surveyor. He offers up the best advice he’s ever gotten, what he does to help young security industry pros elevate their profiles and the person to whom all others should listen when it comes to security sector excellence. Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Chris Hugman: It came from my first boss after college. While in telcom at the time, I believe the advice applies doubly to the security industry: “If you don’t have time to do a job right, when will you have time to do it over?”

A look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s Cup championship race at Phoenix Raceway.