FCSO Gets Technology Grant

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is the recipient of a $10,000 Technology Grant from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.

Franklin County Sheriff StevIe Thomas said the grant monies will be used to provide mobile computers and Microsoft Surface Pro tablets to officers in the field.

He said the new equipment will help officers be more efficient in incident and accident reporting while out on patrol.

“These devices will help officers be more efficient in incident and accident reporting, they will also provide Georgia Crime Information Center connectivity, and allow for uploading accident reports to the State of Georgia in a timelier manner,” Thomas said.

Thomas went on to say that with the new larger, expanded software capabilities, deputies can also complete the incident report in the field and transmit it to the central server at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

“Deputies can now complete the incident report in the field and transmit it to the central server at the Sheriff’s Office,” Thomas explained. “Additionally, with the GCIC connectivity, deputies will now be able to access driver’s license files, vehicle registration files, run queries on stolen vehicles, articles and guns. They can also access driver’s license files and receive a photo of the person in the field.”

Thomas said that will allow deputies to determine whether the ID’s presented are authentic or fake.

The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police is administering the grant in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and it is only being made to a limited number of Georgia Law Enforcement Agencies.