Governor Brian Kemp recently announced that 118 projects have been awarded grant funding totaling $83.5 million to “improve community-level public safety measures and address law enforcement staffing challenges that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
I will always #BackTheBlue!
That’s why I’m proud to announce over $83.5 million in grants to support local law enforcement and for community public safety enhancements. We’ll keep fighting to keep hardworking Georgians safe.
Read the announcement here: https://t.co/Eb6SogV9qg pic.twitter.com/e8GYL41uFi
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) June 8, 2023
According to Kemp’s office, the 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,” in accordance with grant requirements.
“Public safety has always been a top priority of my administration and will continue to be,” Kemp said in a statement. “With the increase in violent crime seen in communities across the country, 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,” Kemp added.
The awarded amounts ranged from $13,576.20 to $1,650,000. The largest amount funded, $1.65 million, was awarded to four out of the 118 projects by the following entities:
- Athens-Clarke County Police Department
- Columbus Police Department
- Dekalb County School District
- Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Funds were awarded to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department to fund “enhanced recruitment incentives for current employees and enhanced hiring incentives for applicants.”
The Columbus Police Department was funded by the grant to create a “Video Integration Command System.”
The Dekalb County School District was awarded with funds to “install touchless security systems in all high schools,” and Georgia Piedmont Technical College was funded to integrate “advanced technology and equipment into the college’s emergency response tactics.”
The projects were paid for by funds received by the State of Georgia from the American Rescue Plan.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network.
Photo “Brian Kemp” by Brian Kemp. Background Photo “Police” by BruceEmmerling.
