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On Friday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced more than $94,000 in grant funds to help four east Alabama law enforcement agencies better serve the public, including the Chambers County Sheriff’s Department.

“Our police, deputies and other law enforcement officers in Alabama sacrifice so much to serve and protect our residents,” Ivey said in a press release. “I am pleased to award these funds that will be beneficial to these public servants and the people they serve.”

The Chambers County Sheriff Department will receive $22,976 to purchase 16 incapacitating devices. Incapacitating devices are commonly known as tasers and are intended to control a violent or potentially violent individual while minimizing the risk of serious injury or death.

According to Chambers County Sheriff Sid Lockhart, the department will use the funds to purchase replacement tasers as the ones deputies are currently using are old and this grant will allow them to upgrade to newer, more innovative units.

“We’re going to be replacing them. We’ve had Tasers since right after they first came out and they are a good tool to have. It’s less lethal than shooting somebody,” Lockhart said. “We’ve had ours for several years and tasers have become more innovative over the years.”

Lockhart says he hopes to receive the new Tasers in the next 90-days.

The CCSD deployed Tasers five times in 2020 and this year deputies have already deployed them three times, Lockhart said.

Deputies must complete a thorough report after deploying a taser, citing why they deployed and why the deputy felt justified in the deployment.

Other Alabama departments receiving funding from the grant are as follows:

Southside Police Department – $23,646 to purchase equipment to support Southside Alabama Foundations for Emergency Response (SAFER).

Ashland Police Department – $24,000 to install patrol vehicle cameras and upgrade vehicle computers.

Wadley Police Department – $24,000 to upgrade patrol vehicles with data information systems and tactical response gear.

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

“Gov. Ivey supports Alabama’s law enforcement agencies and their abilities to enforce our laws,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to join with the governor in providing these funds.” 

ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.