The first round of federal highway safety grants have been awarded.
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner David Purkey and state Highway Safety Office Director Vic Donaho crossed the state Wednesday announcing the grants.
Crossville Police received $20,000 and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department received $35,000.
“These are substantial monies, that’s why we wanted to come here, we wanted a presence in the Upper Cumberland district and let’s be honest, you have a good reputation for law enforcement and public safety,” Purkey said.
Cumberland Sheriff Casey Cox and Crossville Police Chief David Beatty both said the money would be used for overtime to pay officers for targeted highway safety programs.
Donoho said the grant money comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Every department in the Upper Cumberland will receive some funding, based on a complex formula including population, arrests, fatalities and amount of miles driven.
