Sheriff Frankie McClendon is pleased to announce that the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office applied for four different grants and have been awarded funds from each to help with the everyday operations of the Sheriff’s Office. Two of the grants are dispersed at the federal level while the others are awarded by the State of Oklahoma. Here is a brief synopsis of each grant:
Sheriff’s Office Funding Grant–$300,000 This grant was a result of the Oklahoma Legislature passing HB2914. This bill provided 18 million dollars to be divided among all 77 counties in Oklahoma. Sheriff’s have lobbied for years for funding from the Legislature to get turned away every time. Sheriff’s continued to show up at the Capital and voice their concerns and were finally rewarded! These funds cannot go toward salaries nor can they be used to supplant any budget money, Grant funds are to be used to enhance the budget of the sheriff’s office, not replace any funds allocated from the county. The gross assessed property values of each county determined the amount awarded each county. We have determined that an upgrade into our communications is our highest priority. This will address a major officer safety issue that currently exists. We will be able to contact and monitor other agencies with the upgrade in our radio system. This has been an issue since I arrived in 2017 but this generous reward from the State of Oklahoma allows us to complete a task that benefits everyone.
Dept of Environmental Quality (DEQ)–$30,000 This federal grant allows us to do several things to keep our community looking great! These funds allow us to operate an inmate work detail that cleans illegal dump sights. These dump sights are investigated by deputies to determine a violator. These funds allow us to purchase trash bags, gloves, safety vests, and equipment that may be used in these functions. DEQ pays the landfill fees associated with this project. This is a grant that we have been awarded since 2017.
Oklahoma Safe Grant– $17,000 This grant is awarded to agencies to help decrease any violent crimes that may occur in their jurisdiction. Violent crimes include homicides, assaults, sex crimes, human trafficking, and robbery. The money allows the department to pay overtime to deputies to increase patrol presence in targeted areas. We use this grant also to perform our sex offender compliance checks around the county. Violent offenders living in our county are also subject to random checks using these funds.
JAG Grant–$10,000 This is grant administered by the Department of Justice to assist local law enforcement to purchase equipment that they may not be able to afford otherwise. We have been awarded this grant for the past several years. Our first award of this grant allowed us to purchase Body Warn Cameras (BWC). We have also purchased ballistic vests for our deputies and upgraded the vests last year with these funds. This year we will be upgrading our Body Warn Camera for deputies so they are up to date on the latest technology surrounding Body Warn Cameras. I have found that the body cameras have made our agency more transparent with the public, plus it is a tool we use when we have citizens complaints with deputies. This has made the deputies much more aware of their interactions with suspects and video provided by these cameras are priceless in court proceedings.
I want to give thanks to our Administrative Assistant Julie Padgett and Jail Administrator Jeff Daniels for the work they put in to write these grants. The work they provide on quarterly reports does not go unnoticed. As the Sheriff, we continue to strive to make this office transparent. We work for the citizens of this county and will continue to keep our head down and do the work to provide safety for everyone. Have a blessed day!!
Sheriff Frankie McClendon
