County Sheriff’s office receives several grants
HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Harlan County Sheriff’s Office says new gear is boosting deputy safety and saving taxpayers thousands of dollars.
According to the department, nearly $35,000 from the Spirit of Blue Foundation provided patrol rifles, optics, accessories, and life-saving tourniquets. Additional grants from the Office of Attorney General Russell Coleman were used to update ballistic vests and purchase shields, helmets, and level 4 rifle plates. The Kentucky State Police also donated surplus tasers, replacing older models that dated back to 2007.
Altogether, the new equipment is valued at nearly $150,000.
Sheriff’s officials say the upgrades come as deputies have faced nine armed standoffs since January 2023 — three involving firearms and six with knives. In those incidents, deputies took seven suspects into custody without serious injury. The department says the new gear will further enhance officer safety and help ensure peaceful resolutions in dangerous situations.
