Sheriff's Initiative to Combat the Manufacture and Growth of Drugs in Towns County

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) solicits applications for initiatives which assist law enforcement in rural states and rural areas. The program helps rural states and rural areas to prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs.

The Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs Program, administered by BJA, helps rural states and rural areas prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs. In addition, priority consideration will be given to local law enforcement agencies in rural areas where the unit of local government is not eligible to receive a direct allocation from the Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program or received a direct allocation that was $50,000 or less. Applicants were invited to submit a proposal under any one of the following categories to: (1) combat rural crime; (2) improve rural law enforcement investigations; (3) enhance rural detention and jail operations; (4) facilitate rural justice information sharing; or (5) develop a national training and technical assistance program.

Under Category 1, the Towns County Sheriff's Department (TCSD) will utilize the award to hire additional deputies and to pay deputy overtime to search for illegal drug manufacturing and operations. TCSD will utilize grant funds to pay deputy overtime to search forested areas for marijuana growth plots and outdoor methamphetamine laboratories. Additional deputies will be hired and trained in order to allow for additional crime and drug suppression activities. TCSD currently cooperates with the Appalachian Drug Task Force as established by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, one of 13 regional task forces. Funding will provide for more active participation, with the increase in personnel.

Deputies will be outfitted with necessary uniforms, arms, protective vests, and four-wheel drive vehicles. The vehicles are needed in order to travel through areas where normal type vehicles cannot traverse. In addition, a GPS device will be purchased to allow deputies to log locations of drug production for court purposes. Grant funds will cover salaries and fringe benefits, overtime, vehicles, uniform gear, and OJP mandatory training.

CA/CF