MONTGOMERY, Ala. – As many as 450 local law enforcement agencies across Alabama could soon receive additional aid to help prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19 among officers, inmates, employees and others.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) plans to provide many of the state’s police departments, sheriff’s offices and other law enforcement agencies with protection kits. The kits will include protective masks and gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, decontaminant foggers and pressure washers.
The kits are approximately $3 million of an allocation provided by the U.S. Department of Justice to Alabama under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program.
“By virtue of their everyday exposure with the public, our police, deputies and all other law enforcement personnel face one more risk in performing their duties,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “This equipment will provide law enforcement officers with added protection and will be particularly meaningful in smaller departments which are already straining budgets to maintain their safety.”
Equipment distribution, which is expected in late October and early November, will be done at ADECA’s Surplus Property warehouse in Montgomery over about a four-day period. Qualified law enforcement agencies are being notified of the pick-up schedule through affiliated state associations.
Larger police and sheriff’s departments in the state will receive funding allocations directly from the U.S. Justice Department.
“ADECA’S Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division and Surplus Property Division have worked together to make this process as simple and efficient as possible,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “We hope that the departments and agencies will find these protective kits useful in keeping officers and deputies safe while serving the public.”
ADECA also plans within the next several weeks to supply Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding to larger state law enforcement and corrections agencies.
ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, crime victims, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.
