News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Gainesboro Police have received a grant for training and equipment to help officers respond to violent crime.
Assistant Police Chief Michael Smith said that the estimated $37,000 grant would be used for tasers and additional training. Smith said that the training now available to officers will better prepare them for what to look for and act when responding to violent crime. The grant will also allow officers training not covered for roadside deputies on how to better process evidence.
“They’ll have specialized training on evidence that you may not see or walk over,” Smith said. “Or how to maintain a crime scene to help process that crime scene so we’re able to get it to the DA and make better cases.”
Smith said that the grant is a great help in acquiring things his department needs, but previously could not afford. He said the grant is part of a state-wide initiative being granted to law enforcement throughout Tennessee. Smith said that the amount of money granted to each department was based on the size of their communities.
“We have about 1,200 people that live inside Gainesboro,” Smith said. “So you know we don’t have a lot of sales tax and this grant is equipment that we wanted to buy but just couldn’t afford to buy until this grant came out.”
Smith said that the grant is for officer preparedness and that Gainesboro has not been getting reports of a lot of violent crime. He said the grant will also afford the department several cameras to be put up in areas around the city.
“People speeding through our the community, we’ve had a couple of break-ins at some of the businesses in the past,” Smith said. “Just to help maintain and help with that.”
