McDuffie County has recently been selected as one of the 118 communities across Georgia to split $83.4 million in grant funding which will aim to reduce violent crimes by improving early intervention and sustaining law enforcement staffing.
Receiving a $300,025 Public Safety and Community Violence Reduction Strategies grant, the county plans to create the McDuffie EYES (Enhancing Your Everyday Safety) Initiative. The EYES Initiative will involve a series of license plate reader cameras placed at strategic locations throughout the county to track movement of vehicles in and out of the community.
The Sheriff’s Department plans a total of 25 Flock’s Safety’s Automatic Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras, which will gather real-time information for local investigators.
“The ability to potentially have real time data about the movement or the general identification of possible suspect vehicles will only enhance our ability to investigate crimes,” said McDuffe County Sheriff Logan Marshall.
According to a press release from the county, the specific locations of cameras will be identified as local law enforcement personnel and representatives from the camera company implement the program.
“We have already looked at several locations, but we want to make sure we are providing the most coverage, especially in areas that are entry and exit points for our country,” said Marshall.
Officials expect the cameras to be in place over the next few months, and the installation and annual access fee will be funded by proceeds of the grant until the end of 2026, a press release from McDuffie County stated. From there, law enforcement personnel will evaluate their effectiveness and make a decision regarding the cameras continued usage.
State Gov. Brian Kemp said the grants furthered Georgia’s efforts to support law enforcement and protect citizens.
“Public safety has always been a top priority of my administration and will continue to be,” Kemp said in a state press release. “With the increase in violent crime seen in communities across the country, including here in our state, we’re sending reinforcements to keep hardworking Georgians and their neighborhoods safe.”
