Overton Exploring Grants For Drug Enforcement, Deputy Safety

The Overton County Sheriff’s Department is applying for six grants to help with community and deputy safety.

Sheriff John Garrett said he hopes to add five to seven bulletproof vests. In addition, the grants would provide extra funding for drug enforcement operations. Garrett said the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Grant allows the county to call in extra resources when drug indictments come down.

“We can request that those other HIDTA Task Force members come and assist with that roundup or investigation,” Garrett said. “It just really beefs up our narcotics investigation ability.”

Garrett said that two, $3,000 TBI and Tennessee Dangerous Drug Task Force grants help take on drug offenders. Garrett said this grant allows them to pay for a drug agent certified to deal with investigations, when Overton does not have a deputy who can.

“Quick example, We have a patrol officer out here, he stops a vehicle and finds what he believes to be a meth lab in it,” Garrett said. “Not every officer that we have here on staff is certified to handle a meth lab, especially an operational lab. So what that money allows us to do is to call an officer in that is certified to do that. They can handle the investigation and that grant money will pay for it.”

In total, the department applied for $49,000 in grants. Garrett said these grants are for the 2021-2022 budget.