Gov. DeSantis announces funding for new ballistics center at Indian River State College

$4 million award from Florida’s Job Growth Grant Fund

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a state college in Fort Pierce on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

St. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday presented Indian River State College with funding to develop a new ballistics-focused center in hopes that students studying there will enter the workforce in ways beneficial to law enforcement.

DeSantis visited the college’s Massey Campus, announcing an award of $4 million from Florida’s Job Growth Grant Fund to go toward a center for ballistics and emerging technology at IRSC.

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“What the center is going to be able to do (is) students are going to learn skills they need to make ballistic assault barriers including bulletproof glass, walls and doors. So, we pride ourselves on being a law and order state, we back law enforcement across many different ways. Well, this is another way that we’re doing this. To have glass in a police cruiser that can actually withstand shots can be the difference between saving an officer’s life or not,” DeSantis said. “...This center is going to be used to test and design new materials and equipment.”

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DeSantis was joined by IRSC President Dr. Timothy Moore and State Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly.

Watch the news conference again in the media player below:


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