Henry County Police Department Awarded H.E.A.T. Grant

The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved acceptance of a H.E.A.T. Grant in the amount of $53,900 from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (G.O.H.S.) to subsidize the County’s current H.E.A.T. program. The action came at a regular Commission meeting earlier this week.

The grant will be used to fund part of the salaries for officers in the HCPD’s H.E.A.T. Unit.  The unit consists of one sergeant and three officers whose focus is to develop and implement ways to reduce impaired driving, speed related injuries and fatalities as well as educate the community on safe driving practices. The Henry County H.E.A.T. Unit has been widely recognized for successfully curtailing speeding, aggressive driving and getting those driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol off the roadways, making our county safer for citizens and visitors.

According to Major Mark Amerman, the grant was due to be cut by the Governor’s Office, but because of the outstanding job of the department, Henry County continues to receive some funding for its program.

“We’ve had this grant for several years and the Governor’s Office was actually going to cut out this grant for Henry County, but it’s because the officers do such a good job that we have kept it,” said Amerman. “Last year they were recognized as Task Force of the Year, and in previous years, we’ve had Officer of the Year and Department of the Year. They do an outstanding job.”

The 2012-2013 G.O.H.S. grant will provide funding for 40 percent of the salaries and benefits for one officer and the sergeant. Henry County will be responsible for the remaining 60 percent as well as the full salaries of the other two additional in-kind officers.  The grant will also pay 40 percent of the cost of the telecommunications equipment and recalibration of the radars and lasers.

The County’s local match for the grant is $80,800 and funds have been allocated in the current fiscal year budget.

For more information on the Henry County Police Department, visit www.henrycounty-ga.com/police 

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