Several public safety measures were addressed by the Henry County Board of Commissioners at its July 7 regular meeting.
The board approved bylaws recently established by the county’s new Citizens Police Advisory Committee. The committee itself was created in July of 2020 and has ten members.
The new bylaws provide for the committee’s specific purposes, which include serving as liaison between the police department and the community; advocating for programs, ideas and methods to improve their relationship; putting out information associated with furthering positive police-citizen relations; and making recommendations to the police chief based on citizen information; and offering ideas regarding possible amendments or additions to the department’s policies and procedures that affect police-citizen relations.
A total of $287,153 has been earmarked for a high-tech tool intended to assist local law enforcement. The Henry County Board of Commissioners voted at its July 7 regular meeting to approve a three-year agreement for an ICU Industries/Fusus Real Time Crime Center software program. According to a county staff report, this technology is a Google map/cloud-based software that will merge private and commercial cameras into one area, allowing intelligence to be collected from any device connected to the system. A virtual command center will have access to all available cameras immediately when a call comes in — an active shooter, for example — or to track suspects in a specific area.
The board voted to accept a $91,956 grant from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on behalf of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. The funds will be used to expand the simulator which is used for training, to allow for simultaneous use by multiple officers per session.
The HCSO wants to partner with other agencies in the county such as the city police departments, the district attorney’s office and the Henry County Fire Department to offer more training opportunities and “increase the overall quality of law enforcement services to the citizens,” according to a staff report.
A $95,000 expenditure of drug abuse treatment and education (DATE) funds to support Henry County’s DUI/Drug Court was approved by the board. The money will be used to fund salaries and benefits for a case manager and surveillance officer as well as testing, treatment and supplies.
State law has specifically designated drug courts as an appropriate use of DATE funds, which are to be used on programs dealing with drug and alcohol abuse treatment and education. Such courts are intended to reduce recidivism, which results in financial savings for the county.
Also approved was an $80,000 agreement for renewal of around-the-clock radio system maintenance for E-911 services. The funds are within the department’s budget. The E-911 center is also disposing of a wide variety of surplus equipment such as office chairs, used battery systems, office furniture and copy machines that are broken, unusable, and no longer maintain a serviceable function. The commissioners approved a request to declare them surplus and authorize their disposal.
