MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Governor Brian Kemp is distributing $83 million in public safety funding for law enforcement agencies to help update public safety measures and address staffing issues.
118 projects received grant funding, including seven Central Georgia counties like Baldwin County.
13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha says the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office has gotten over $500,000 and is going toward a new gun range, its equipment, and 20 more Flock cameras.
They say they've never had a training facility or gun range of their own. This grant is giving them that and more.
“Without that grant money, all of this would still be a wish,” says Major Brad King.
In the 27 years King has been at the sheriff's office, he says they haven't had their own training facility.
“We've had other agencies or businesses allow us to conduct our firearms training at their facility. For instance, Georgia Power, they had a shooting range. Over the last number of years, we’ve used the Georgia Department of Corrections' shooting range,” King explains.
They need to borrow facilities every time they have annual qualifications testing, a place for trainees to practice, and hosting larger advanced training sessions.
“Our department is too big to not have it because it's a logistical nightmare,” he says.
In October, the sheriff and King applied for Governor Kemp's law enforcement grant. Now, something they've needed for decades is finally happening.
“Our grant totaled $530,000. It's going to be a game-changer for our department.”
SPLOST money will help build the five-acre training facility and classrooms they want.
They'll use the grant money to fill it.
That includes a gun range with two lanes, an obstacle course, and 20 more Flock cameras. King says it’s necessary to have proper violence reduction and de-escalation training and preparedness with half the time, money, and hassle.
“This particular grant is absolutely, positively going to benefit our department as well as other law enforcement agencies in the area,” King says.
Sarah Ramsey and Abby Pollock are both students at Georgia College. Ramsey says building a training facility makes sense.
“I think that it'll be a lot more convenient and in the surrounding counties to have a localized place to practice and train. I think it'll save time and resources for a lot of people,” Ramsey says.
However, Ben Smith doesn't quite agree.
“Do I think that Baldwin County needs more places for folks to shoot guns? Need to shoot more guns? I'm a little less excited about that,” he says.
King says they're still searching for the place they'll build their training facility and gun range.
As for the 20 new Flock cameras, it’ll bring the county camera total to 92. That includes the city, the Department of Corrections’, and some private cameras.
Here's the full list of grant recipients and what they plan to do with the money.