WAYCROSS – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) this week secured federal funding through the Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program to purchase necessary equipment for the Ware County Sheriff's Office and the City of Waycross Police Department.
The grant will allow the City of Waycross to purchase an air purification system for the police department property and evidence room to protect personnel from dangerous airborne contaminants, including narcotics fumes and biohazards. Ware County will use the JAG funds to purchase ballistic shields to protect deputies when they are serving high-risk search warrants and arrest warrants as part of their efforts in crime fighting, crime reduction, and public safety.
“As a longtime supporter of the JAG grant program, I am thrilled that these funds will be used to support the Waycross Police Department and Ware County Sheriff's Office. This grant will ensure that our public safety officers have the resources necessary to serve and protect South Georgians,” said Rep. Carter.
“The Waycross Police Department will be utilizing the funds to purchase an air purification system for our Evidence Room. The equipment will increase the safety of our evidence room employees. This equipment is a tremendous asset for our department as it will reduce harmful airborne toxins in the air should they be introduced. This risk has recently grown due to different types of drugs that are being encountered, such as fentanyl. The Ware County Sheriff's Office grant will be utilized to purchase ballistic shields. These shields will be utilized to protect law enforcement personnel during entries into buildings where armed suspects are located. Both the Waycross Police Department and the Ware County Sheriff's Office are greatly appreciative for this grant award,” said Danny Hampton, Assistant Chief of Police for Waycross.
BACKGROUND
According to its website, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program is the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The JAG Program provides states, tribes, and local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of program areas including law enforcement, prosecution, indigent defense, courts, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, planning, evaluation, technology improvement, crime victim and witness initiatives, mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams, and implementation of state crisis intervention court proceedings and related programs or initiatives including, but not limited to, mental health courts, drug courts, veterans courts, and extreme risk protection order programs.
Read the DOJ’s JAG program fact sheet here.
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