Backup on the way	 

Takeaways from Tallahassee, Florida Politics, 6/6/2020


U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe announced a wave of grants heading to law enforcement agencies within the Northern District of Florida.

The round totals $500,000 and includes five recipients. The Gainesville Police Department’s grant was the largest at $213,171, followed by $130,054 for the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, $81,254 for the Pensacola Police Department, $52,441 for the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and $41,132 for the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office.

The funding comes from a pot of money included in the federal Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program and is aimed at helping law enforcement respond to the public safety challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19.

“Throughout the many weeks our district and the nation have been dealing with the threat of COVID-19, our public safety first responders have worked tirelessly to make sure members of the public are safe,” Keefe said. “The resources of local agencies have been stretched thin, and these grant funds will help ease the financial burden on public safety agencies so they can continue protecting and serving our citizens.”

The law enforcement agencies announced this week join Bay County, Leon County, Madison County, and Walton County, which were awarded a combined $240,000 in Department of Justice grants last month.

The awards are among $1.3 million directed to 14 Florida counties and cities under the program, which also provided $31.8 million to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for use statewide.

“The outbreak of COVID-19 and the public health emergency it created are sobering reminders that even the most routine duties performed by our nation’s public safety officials carry potentially grave risks,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, principal deputy assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs.

“These funds will provide hard-hit communities with critical resources to help mitigate the impact of this crisis and give added protection to the brave professionals charged with keeping citizens safe.”