Marla Jones, Managing Editor
marla@southerntorch.com
MONTGOMERY – On Monday, February 6, Governor Kay Ivey announced that sheriffs in all 67 counties in Alabama would be receiving Sheriff’s Grants.
The sheriff’s departments will be receiving funds quarterly beginning in the first quarter of 2023. The amount of funds each county receives is based on monies that the county’s sheriff’s department collected on pistol permit fees in 2022.
“A couple of core tenants of the Ivey Administration is that we back the blue in the strongest way possible and that we support upholding our citizens’ Second Amendment rights. As we have amended Alabama law to help our gun owners, we also worked to ensure our sheriffs received their critical funds, and I am proud that these grants will do that,” said Governor Ivey. “The Sheriffs’ Grants will provide them with funding for training, equipment and other needs not provided by county commissions in their annual appropriations. We are proud to support the vital work our sheriffs’ departments do on a daily basis.”
Under the Local Government Pistol Permit Revenue Loss Fund, Alabama sheriffs need to show a loss of pistol permit funds based on the 2022 figures. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is making disbursements to the sheriff’s offices based on reports collected by other state agencies.
“ADECA intends to carry out our duties in this matter to ensure that Alabama’s sheriffs’ offices are compensated for their losses based on those shortages provided in the data,” said Director Kenneth Boswell.
ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.
“It’s a blessing to receive this grant. We utilized the funding for EXACTLY what it was designed for, so when the funding basically went away it put a tough strain on our office” stated DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden.
“This is how we’ve been able to open the firing range and fund it and a deputy to be there to help and teach people firearm safety and defense, updated vest for our deputies and SRO’s, have school safety programs, k9 programs and much needed advanced training opportunities” continued Welden.
“If it wasn’t for the County Commission and Dekalb County Board of Education (BOE) we would have had to cut these programs and that only hurts the public. It will be nice to receive that lost funding back and take the strain off the Commission and BOE. Just Praise God !He WILL provide” concluded Welden.
