ADECA awards Montgomery County Sheriff's Office $1 million public safety grant

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) has awarded a $1 million grant to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office to hire new deputies and buy body cameras. 

"Anytime we're getting funding to be able to push back out into our communities to make our communities safer, this is what it's all about and that's what we're doing," said Sheriff Derrick Cunningham at a press conference on Tuesday. 

Cunningham went on to say that the department will use part of the funds to hire 10 new deputies. 

An emphasis will be made in particular on addressing gun crimes, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle Davidson. 

"As the sheriff said it's going to be boots on the ground," she stated. "Gun crimes will be a focus as far as the district attorney's office. A portion of these funds has enabled us to increase our access to Axon Technologies, which has helped us tremendously in our link with law enforcement."

"It's quicker for us to receive case file information, to receive the all important body cam and dash cam videos that we use in the courtrooms every day to prosecute those crimes." 

The press conference was attended by Commissioners Doug Singleton, Carmen Moore-Ziegler and Justin Castanza.