Marion County Sheriff's Office receives $ 443,363 in grants

By: Staff Reports | SCNow
Published: August 31, 2009

Marion County Sheriff Mark Richardson announced his department has received $443,363 in grant funds from the S.C. Department of Public Safety.

The funds were part of the state appropriation of the U.S. Department of Justice Assistance Grants program.

The Sheriff's Office will use the money to enhance law enforcement communications throughout the county by providing all law enforcement officers, City & County with new portable radios, Richardson said.

The portable radios are very essential tools for law enforcement officers, as it is their lifeline to central dispatch during emergency situations, he said.

The radio equipment will replace obsolete units currently in use, which the cost of maintenance has exceeded replacement costs, he said.

Richardson said the new radios would enable officers to communicate with other local, state and federal agencies throughout South Carolina.

In addition to his staff, Sheriff Richardson will provide new portable radios for; Marion County Combined Drug Unit, Marion Police Department, Mullins Police Department, Nichols Police Department,

Marion County Magistrate's Office, Marion County Code Enforcement, 12th Circuit Solicitor's Office, Marion County Central Dispatch and the Marion County Detention Center.

Sheriff Mark Richardson said the Marion County Sheriff Office has received over 1 Million in grants this year, including $500,000 for drugs and gang assistance, $443,363 for 116 new Radios for officers and $63,837 for two vehicles and equipment.

Richardson said one of his Deputies, Glen Wood who is assigned to the Marion County Combine Drug Unit wrote the grant.

“Deputy Wood did a great job and this will help Law Enforcement Officers in Marion County Communicate better with each other,” he said.