On Thursday (June 8th) Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced preliminary grant awards totaling 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. 

Grants were given to municipalities and counties all over the state, including here in Northwest Georgia – but none were granted for Chattooga County or Dade County.  The City of Rome received over $1.2 million in grant money to invest in new equipment and technology to improve officer and public safety.  Floyd County received over $1 million for the Floyd County Sentry Initiative. The grant will go towards funding a full-time crime analyst position at the Floyd County Police Department (as well as providing technology and equipment for that position), and also towards new patrol vehicle and equipment upgrades.

Walker County, Whitfield County, Catoosa County and the town of Eton also received grants in Northwest Georgia.