At the Thursday, April 15 meeting of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, the board is expected to accept, on behalf of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department and the High Point Police Department, receipt of a Justice Assistance Grant of $250,000 that will go toward purchasing new tools for the law enforcement trade.
The Guilford County Sheriff’s Department will use the $137,000 from the grant to purchase new and updated uniform badges and patches, as well as new gas masks for its officers.
A memo from the Sheriff’s Department to the county commissioners regarding the expenditure states, “These expenses are necessary to outfit officers with gas masks for use during situations involving civil unrest.”
About $113,000 will pass through the county – the administrator of the funds – and head over to the High Point Police Department, which will put its share of the money toward the purchase of a high-tech tool that will be used in forensics examinations of bullet casings.
According to the description, the casing examination station “captures highly detailed images of fired cartridge cases, to include firing pin impressions on the primer, breech face, extractor, and injector markings.”
The stated goal of the High Point Police Department’s expenditure is “to adopt technology in the form of new-and improved tools to aid officers in solving violent gun crime.”
The station – known in police lingo as a “BrassTraxHD3D Cartridge Case Acquisition Station with triage scope” – carries an estimated cost of about $145,000. Some of the additional money needed will be paid for by the High Point Police Department from its NC Drug Excise Tax Funds.
Why does the GCSO need new badges and patches if they don’t have the deputies to wear them? This expense is cosmetic and does not address a bigger issue within the department. Why are deputies quitting? I can assure you it isn’t money. They aren’t all white either. Rhino I think it’s time to do a little digging.
THE most effective tool of law enforcement is an officer on the street.
My My… badges and patches….Maybe I’m a little crazy but wouldn’t pay like other Departments get and a little support from our fine UPSTANDING leaders go a whole lot farther?
I am more curious about the GCSO statement about needing money for purchase of new gas masks for use during situations involving civil unrest.