Public safety in Middle Georgia expanding thanks to Department of Justice grants
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia recently announced more than $7 million in grants awarded to the region.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Violence prevention and mental health care services are expanding in Middle Georgia with the help of federal grant money from the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, Peter Leary, recently announced more than $7 million in grants awarded to the region.
“The Department of Justice has a comprehensive strategy to combat violent crime,” Leary said. “A component of that under Project Safe Neighborhoods is prosecution, but a large component is also community intervention, where we’re trying to prevent violence before it occurs.”
In Macon-Bibb County, nearly $2 million was awarded to public safety agencies.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office received a grant of $141,817, in partnership with mental health professionals from River Edge Behavioral Health, to de-escalate behavioral health and substance abuse emergencies.
“This grant is an effort to make sure that when folks are in a mental health crisis that they get the support they need, and that may involve medical intervention instead of incarceration,” Leary explained.
The Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office was also awarded $385,000 to hire a domestic violence investigator and domestic violence prosecutor.
Leary says while his office works with law enforcement to prosecute violent crimes, violence prevention is equally important.
That’s why $1.2 million was awarded to the upcoming Family Justice Center, One Safe Place Macon, where victims of domestic violence can access the help they need in one location.
According to Director of One Safe Place Macon for the Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia, Sarah Schank, the grant helped speed up the process for developing the center.
“Well this is a game changing amount of money,” Schank said. “We’ve had a lot of really diverse funding streams, but this is a major gift to move the needle for us into getting the doors open.”
One Safe Place Macon is on track to open in 2024.
Schank says the grant will allow the Family Justice Center to hire central staff members like client navigators and support the growth of the center by providing clients with a welcoming environment.
“We know that cities with dynamic family justice centers typically see reductions of their domestic violence homicide rates,” she said. “They see reductions in their major felony assaults, they see better results for their survivors and they see increased offender accountability.”
Cities in the Middle District of Georgia awarded grants from the Department of Justice include Albany, Americus, Athens, Butler, Columbus, Macon, Thomasville, Tifton and Warner Robins.
