Federal grants will replace body cameras, expand a records restriction clinic and continue implementation of a mental health team for local law enforcement.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced more than $6 million in Fiscal Year 2024 grants for the Southern District of Georgia Thursday.
More than $1 million will go toward upgrading body-worn camera technology and implementing a mental health response team for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
“These grants will help local communities across the Southern District to protect their citizens and improve outcomes for the vulnerable,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District.
Federal funds to be used to replace old body cameras
Nearly $700,000 of the funding goes next year to upgrade body-worn camera technology, according to a news release.
The funds will replace cameras in use “since the office first implemented the program in 2015,” the release said.
Roundtree, who founded the sheriff’s office body camera program, declined to comment on what could be a bittersweet achievement.
Roundtree lost a bid for reelection this year, so sheriff-elect Gino Brantley’s administration will be spending the funds.
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, told an area media outlet in May the sheriff requested the funds. Ossoff said all law enforcement agencies should require the use of body cameras.
Grant to improve storage of body camera footage
The report said the sheriff’s office intended to buy 350 new cameras with the funds, as well as 27 charging docks and unlimited storage. The storage will replace servers that crashed and caused the loss of video evidence, it said.
More recently, one of the sheriff’s older 2015 cameras was attributed with the loss of video evidence in the trial of Allen Crispin Fuentes, a Burke County deputy charged with disorderly conduct leading to his arrest at a downtown Augusta festival.
According to trial witnesses, Deputy Ty Hester was able to stick the wrong-size storage card in the older camera, leading to no video being recorded of the incident.
The grant award follows a $970,000 grant award made by Gov. Brian Kemp’s office to the sheriff’s office last year, intended also for body cameras.
Grant to extend sheriff’s mental health response
The second part of the $1 million grant, for $317,000, is intended to assist the sheriff’s office in further implementing a Mental Health Response Team.
To contend with another of the sheriff’s office’s biggest challenges, mental health, the team will create a “co-responder effort” to assist individuals either in active mental health crises or in need of followup care.
Grant to continue Second chance Desk to clear records
On a brighter note, some $475,000 going to the Georgia Justice Project includes funding to continue the Second Chance Desk in Richmond and Burke counties.
The desk, first implemented by Solicitor General Omeeka Loggins, provides a space low- and moderate-income residents to have a consultation about clearing their public criminal histories of irrelevant information, such as arests that didn’t lead to convictions.
Loggins said the funds will keep the free program available to Augusta Circuit residents as well as others statewide.
“I am grateful to be able to partner with the Georgia Justice Project to provide this service to our community. We are here to protect and to serve,” she said.
Funds for overdose reduction, behavioral health
A final grant to the Community Service Board of Middle Georgia in Dublin will fund efforts in several area counties.
The $1.4 million grant will fund implementation of a behavioral health and overdose reduction initiative in the small. rural counties.
They include Burke, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson and Screven counties.
