Savannah, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is delivering new resources to strengthen public safety in Savannah.
Sen. Ossoff is delivering $119,429 in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Justice to help the Savannah Police Department purchase new equipment.
“I am pleased to help deliver these public safety upgrades for the Savannah Police Department. I remain committed to public safety for every community in Georgia,” Sen. Ossoff said.
“I am grateful to Senator Ossoff for his continued support of our residents and Savannah Police Department,” Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson, II said. “This important grant will provide SPD with life-saving equipment and ensure they are well equipped to handle modern threats to our city.”
“The Department of Justice’s support will go a long way in providing our officers with much-needed specialty equipment,” said Lenny B. Gunther, Savannah Chief of Police. “Simply put, this grant is a direct investment in Savannah’s public safety.”
With this new funding, the Savannah Police Department plans to purchase new equipment for its Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, as its current bomb suit is expired and needs to be replaced. The team is responsible for safely handling suspicious packages, assisting military Explosive Ordnance Device units with the destruction of explosives, and assisting SWAT teams with barricaded gunman calls.
The Savannah Police Department also plans to secure new equipment for the Underwater Search and Recovery Team, which is an auxiliary unit to Savannah Police Department and often assists local and federal law enforcement agencies. The team responds to water-related incidents, such as drowning, underwater search and recovery of stolen property or other criminal evidence; conducts underwater Sweeps for VIP protection and/or high- risk targets; and performs ship hull searches for contraband/parasitic devices when requested.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to strengthen public safety across Coastal Georgia.
In October, Sen. Ossoff delivered $98,657 through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program to coordinate Federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts and help reduce violent crime across Coastal Georgia.
Sen. Ossoff also recently delivered $7 million to the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) to strengthen Georgia’s response to the opioid epidemic and save lives.
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