Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and the Monroe County Board of Commissioners were pleased to learn on Thursday that Monroe County has received $817,050.30 in Community Public Safety Grant Awards from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget for public safety equipment enhancements.
Through the grant awards, MCSO was provided funding to pay rental fees over a four-year period for 21 Flock cameras, which equates to $210,000. Other public safety items to be purchased through the grant will include: 15 new computers ($46,500), a Nighthawk BTX portable X-ray machine to inspect vehicles ($49,000), 20 new radios, chargers, and headsets ($104,521), as well as in-car video cameras and body cameras for deputies ($227,880).
Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman said the grant funding will greatly enhance MCSO’s financial outlook for the next several years and is expected to further reduce Monroe County’s already low crime rate.
“The Flock cameras have already proven their value in the short time we have had them,” Sheriff Freeman said. “This funding will only prolong their benefits.”
Monroe County Grant Writer Tammy Selman and MCSO Capt. Jarrad Duncan worked together to submit the county’s grant request in November 2022. Selman said the grant will be 100 percent funded by the state and will not require a county match.
Selman said of the grant award: “It took a collaboration between MCSO and the Monroe County administrative staff to make this possible. I am very appreciative of the Governor’s Office for this grant, which will positively benefit the safety and security of Monroe County citizens.”
According to a press release by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s office, the statewide grant awards total more than $83.5 million for 118 qualified projects “to improve community-level public safety measures and address law enforcement staffing challenges that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Gov. Kemp said in the release: “Public safety has always been a top priority of my administration and will continue to be. With the increase in violent crime seen in communities across the county, including here in our state, we’re sending reinforcements to keep hardworking Georgians and their neighborhoods safe. From tackling staffing needs to deploying new equipment and technology, these funds are being invested so that our brave first responders have the resources they need to fight back against dangerous criminals.”
The release goes on to state that “awarded funds will be utilized to supplement law enforcement staffing, support violent crime reduction or community violence intervention programming, and invest in technology and equipment to address and respond to the rise in community violence resulting from the pandemic.”
Neighboring counties, law enforcement agencies, and municipalities also receiving funding through the Community Public Safety Grant Awards included: Bibb County Sheriff’s Office ($1,621,809.20), Butts County Sheriff’s Office ($660,000), Georgia Public Safety Training Center (two grants totaling $1,066,560), and Gray Police Department ($528,896).
For more information on the Community Public Safety Grant Awards, visit https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2023-06-08/gov-kemp-announces-835m-community-public-safety-grant-awards.
