Ivey awards $5.6M for law enforcement programs

The governor has awarded $5.6 million in grants to support statewide programs designed to increase public safety on Alabama’s highways and in the state’s communities, it was announced Wednesday.

“Public Safety is a core mission of my Administration. Our state, regional, county and municipal law enforcement officers do a tremendous job keeping our state and her communities safe,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “I am pleased to award these grants to support the programs that help our officers receive the training and resources needed to fulfill their mission to serve and protect our communities and our highways.”

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is administering the grants from funds made available to the state by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Justice.

ADECA manages a wide array of programs that support law enforcement and traffic safety, energy conservation, water resource management, economic development and recreation.

“ADECA stands with Governor Ivey in support of our state and local law enforcement agencies who are helping make Alabama safer,” said Director Kenneth Boswell.

Highway Safety

The grants to the state’s four regional traffic safety offices will cover overtime for police officers, allowing state troopers and sheriffs’ deputies to conduct extra patrols and checkpoints during peak travel times targeting speeding, seat belt violations and impaired driving. The University of Alabama will use a grant to continue projects and programs that help collect traffic safety data for the state.

$1.42 million to the Franklin County Commission for the North Central Alabama Highway Safety Office. The office serves Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Jackson, Madison, Marshall, Marion, Morgan, Pickens, Walker and Winston counties.
$1.66 million to the city of Opelika for the East Central Alabama Highway Safety Office which serves Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Elmore, Etowah, Jefferson, Lee, Macon, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega and Tallapoosa counties.
$1.14 million for the Southeast Alabama Regional Highway Safety Office at Enterprise State Community College. The office serves Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, Montgomery, Pike, Russell and Tuscaloosa counties.
$993,266 to the Mobile County Commission for the Southwest Regional Highway Safety Office which serves Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties.
$203,558 to the University of Alabama Center for Advanced Public Safety which uses funds for technology development projects that improve data quality, timeliness, completeness and the efficiency of officers and emergency medical services personnel across the state.

Forensics Training and Equipment

The governor awarded two grants totaling $240,000 for law enforcement equipment and forensics training to be utilized statewide.

Jacksonville State University is using a $150,000 grant to assist its Center for Applied Forensics in providing training to law enforcement officers across the state in recognizing, preserving and collecting items of evidence routinely encountered by patrol personnel and investigators working complex crime scenes. The proper collection of evidence assists in the prosecution of cases.
A $90,000 grant to the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Law Enforcement Services Division is being used to purchase three handheld drug analyzers. This equipment will allow officers to safely analyze suspected narcotics, while maintaining the integrity of evidence, and all will help keep officers safe when handling suspected drug samples.

Compliance

Ivey awarded a $103,343 grant to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency that will be used to ensure compliance of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The act requires that convicted sex offenders register and notify authorities of where they are living once they are released from prison. ALEA will use funds to maintain compliance of the law by maintaining current cases to adhere to federal and state laws.

“We are grateful for the unwavering support of Governor Ivey, as well as the support from ADECA, to assist law enforcement with the funds needed to continuously provide an enhanced layer of protection and service for all,” said ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor. “These funds greatly impact our operations and enable our Troopers to actively patrol and work numerous high-visibility details on our state’s roadways, ultimately reducing the number of crashes and traffic fatalities.

“Additionally, the funds distributed for the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act continuously allow our Agency to keep local communities well-informed and promote public awareness, as it relates to the potential threat that sex offenders and fugitives pose to Alabama’s citizens.”