LYNCHBURG — They increase accountability, increase officer safety, and serve as vital evidence in some criminal cases and thanks to Justice & Security Strategies (JSS) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Department will be one of the small towns across the country to receive a grant for body-worn cameras. The local department will receive part of $6 million being distributed to 112 small towns, 40 rural Sheriff and county police agencies, 12 tribes, and six other agencies.

Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Office was one 40 rural law enforcement agencies chosen to receive the funding, according to Captain Shane Taylor, who applied for and manages this, as well as several other grants for the agency.

“This grant program made it easier for small, rural, and tribal law enforcement agencies to apply for funding. We received over 800 applications, a clear indication that these agencies wanted a streamlined grant process and that there is a high demand for body-worn cameras.” She added, that “this represents an effort by the Justice Department to provide law enforcement with valuable resources to increase accountability and build trust with the communities they serve,” said JSS project director, Dr. Shellie Solomon.

BJA selected Justice & Security Strategies, Inc. to administer the grant program through a cooperative agreement in 2021. This is the third year that JSS has awarded grants to small, rural and tribal agencies.  Over $23.5 million has been provided for BWCs to over 850 agencies across the United States.

“This is an awesome opportunity to gain much needed equipment for the department that will capture digital evidence of crimes, traffic stops, and record interactions with the public in the event complaints arise,” Captain Taylor stated. “This solicitation will provide nearly $50,000 in funding with minimal costs from county budgets.”

For more information about the program and a list of the agencies receiving funds, please visit https://www.srtbwc.com. •

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