The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded nearly $5.8 million in state grant money to upgrade its emergency communications, give deputies new technology, and expand public safety operations across Flagler County.
The money comes from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. According to the Sheriff’s Office, because the state is covering the costs, Flagler County property taxpayers will not pay for the equipment and upgrades the grant provides.
The announcement was made July 23 in a news release from the agency.
Where the money is going
Radios. More than half of the funding will replace the agency’s portable radio system. The new radios can operate over traditional radio frequency, cellular networks and satellite. That means deputies can stay in contact even if one of those networks goes down. The Sheriff’s Office said the setup is meant to keep communications working during hurricanes and other natural disasters, in remote parts of the county, and during large incidents. The agency also said the radios will make it easier to work with neighboring agencies.
Translation technology. The grant pays for AXON AI Assistant licenses for body-worn cameras deputies already use. The software offers real-time, hands-free translation in more than 50 languages. The Sheriff’s Office said it will help deputies talk with people who do not speak English during traffic stops, calls for service and other encounters, and is intended to cut down on misunderstandings and build trust in the community.
Helicopter upgrades. Funding will add a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) thermal imaging system, an aviation spotlight and night-vision capability to the agency’s helicopter. The Sheriff’s Office said the equipment will help crews find missing people, search the county’s waterways and wooded areas, follow fleeing suspects, and assist deputies on the ground.
Other equipment. The rest of the money will replace aging, heat-damaged patrol laptops with rugged mobile computers, strengthen the agency’s Real Time Crime Center, and buy medical equipment for deputies, including automated CPR devices and defibrillators.
What the sheriff said
“Every dollar of this grant is a dollar we didn’t have to ask Flagler County taxpayers for,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “This funding puts the best available technology in the hands of our deputies — updated radios, real-time translation to break down language barriers, and better eyes in the sky to find missing people and hunt down criminals. These grant dollars were going to go somewhere in Florida, so I believe in bringing home as much grant money as we can get for our community. Public safety in Flagler County just got a major upgrade, and we didn’t have to ask our local residents to foot the bill.”
Background
The Sheriff’s Office said the award continues Staly’s practice of seeking outside funding for the agency. According to the release, the office has received more than $12 million in grant funds since Staly became sheriff.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is located at 61 Sheriff EW Johnston Drive in Bunnell and can be reached at 386-437-4116. Media questions were directed to Public Information Officer Jake Arthur at PIO@flaglersheriff.com.
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