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Using sales tax funds, DeKalb County buys $8 million worth of public safety equipment

Crime and public safety Metro ATL

Using sales tax funds, DeKalb County buys $8 million worth of public safety equipment

DeKalb County Georgia. Source: Google Maps.
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DeKalb County Georgia. Source: Google Maps.

DeKalb County says it’s putting money it will receive from a sales tax to good use.

Voters approved the sales tax last year.

The county is buying $8 million worth of emergency vehicles and safety equipment.

Purchases include:

 

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– 50 vehicles for the Police Department that will have “advanced safety features and technologies” that will integrate with the county’s dispatch system and cameras worn by police officers

“Expected to be in service by the end of September, each 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe costs approximately $61,000 and will be used as officer take-home vehicles to increase community visibility and reduce crime,” the county says. “Additionally, the new patrol vehicles feature push bumpers, which allows officers to remove disabled vehicles from roadways to expedite traffic flow.”

The county will buy 50 more vehicles next year.

– 10 rapid response vehicles for the DeKab County Fire Rescue Department

“Rapid response vehicles are smaller and are less expensive to operate than larger fire trucks,” the county says. “Each fully outfitted vehicle costs $190,000, nearly 30 percent lower than the cost of a larger fire truck. Rapid response vehicles will capture approximately 3,500 calls annually. The full fleet of rapid response vehicles will be in service by March 2019, with two added to each county fire station.”

The fire department is also getting 313 Motorola two-way radios that are designed for firefighters.

“The radios include improved safety features such as bigger buttons for gloved hands, brighter color for better visibility and Bluetooth capability,” the county says.

The county anticipates $388 in sales tax revenue over the next six years. In addition to improving public safety, the money will go to fix roads and infrastructure.

“DeKalb County has invested initial SPLOST funding to improve public safety and provide a higher level of emergency service to our residents and business owners,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said in a press release. “The addition of new public safety vehicles and equipment will improve public safety, decrease response times and deliver significant cost savings to the county.”

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