ATLANTA (June 12, 2023) | Last week, Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that he has made preliminary grant awards totaling more than $83.5 million for 118 qualified projects that improve community-level public safety measures and address law enforcement staffing challenges that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program funds will be allotted to supplement local 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 across the state.
“I’d like to thank Governor Kemp for his leadership in distributing these resources across our state and look forward to seeing positive changes in the public safety sector,” said Sen. Max Burns (R – Sylvania). “The community violence reduction grants allocated to the Augusta-Richmond County Marshal and Sheriff’s Departments, the Burke County Sheriff’s Department, the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Department and the Sylvania Police Department will work to further improve the safety and security of the citizens in Georgia’s 23rd State Senate District. This is an important step forward in guaranteeing that all Georgians, whether in my district or statewide, are protected from the threat of violent crime.”
Funds awarded to the 23rd State Senate District include:
$1,578,558.30 to the Augusta-Richmond County Marshal’s Office to acquire security-screening equipment and technology to mitigate or reduce the possibility of gun crimes in the courts.
$1,255,017.50 to the Augusta-Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to purchase new body-worn cameras and to implement public safety technology and proactive policing methods to combat gun violence.
$1,312,867.33 to the Burke County Sheriff’s Office to create a comprehensive youth violence crime reduction and prevention program.
$300,025.00 to the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office to invest in equipment and technology to aide in the fight against violent crime.
$159,005.00 to the City of Sylvania for the installation of law enforcement-grade equipment.
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Sen. Max Burns serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics. He represents the 23rd Senate District, which includes Burke, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, McDuffie, Screven, Taliaferro, and Warren County as well as portions of Columbia and Richmond County. He may be reached by email at max.burns@senate.state.gov