August 5, 2010

The Union County Sheriff’s Office will be getting some new equipment in the days to come, thanks to a new federal grant. Congressional Rep. Larry Kissell’s office announced the decision Aug. 5, with $52,729 given to the UCSO from the Department of Justices Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program.

Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey said the money will be used to purchase an evidence drying cabinet, as well as acquiring a new automated fingerprint and palmprint system. The current drying cabinet is slightly older and officials say has been hard to repair. The new fingerprint system will help the UCSO connect to new databases, allowing them to search and compare latent prints taken from crime scene with county, state and federal records.

This money will be used for investigative tools to keep our people safer, Cathey said. This will give us a chance to update equipment and move forward in the processing and fingerprinting of criminals.

JAG grants deliver funding to local governments to help control crime, with priority given to those with the most needs. Union County, through manager Al Greene, applied for the grant earlier this year.

We must keep our communities safe, Kissell said in a press release. Our local law enforcement must be adequately equipped to do their job. This funding will help these brave men and women have the tools they need to protect and keep safe the communities they serve.

The funding is expected to come during this fiscal year and can be used for anything from equipment to training programs, but can’t be used for any recurring costs, such as additional salaries.