MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — Close to $1 million is being used to upgrade equipment at the Monroe County's Sheriff's Office.
Several people that live in Monroe County are excited about how the sheriff's office is using over $800,000 in public safety grant money. The department is getting new computers, radios, in-car cameras, and bodycams.
"This grant will also pay for four more years of Flock cameras. We already have them installed, they've been operating for about 6-8 months," says Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman.
Sheriff Freeman says they have 25 Flock cams around the county, including Highway 47 and Highway 81. He says they're a powerful law enforcement tool.
"They've been very successful. We've been able to recover about 15 stolen vehicles. It's also helped us solve several burglaries and thefts," says Freeman.
The office is adding portable X-ray machines, something the sheriff says could help uncover guns and drugs.
"They're tough to find. With these X-ray machines, if a deputy comes across something like that, he will have quick access to something that can show a void in the car," says Freeman, which could lead to a search if the X-ray detects something suspicious.
"You would have probable cause to get a search warrant or go ahead and search the car because you can tell what you're seeing is not natural to the car," says Freeman.
John Morris says he's lived in Monroe for eight years and is excited about the new technology coming and staying, especially the Flock cams.
"A crime that's been committed, even outside the county, if they come through this area, we will know about it," says Morris.
The new equipment also includes bodycams, which can show exactly what happens during a traffic stop or arrest. The sheriff says they expect to get a lot of the new equipment between 3 to 4 months.