DeKalb County to use $11.5 million in federal funds for crime prevention and public safety

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond intends to use $11.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds for crime prevention and public safety. 

Thurmond announced a proposal Tuesday for a comprehensive strategy to enhance public safety, which included $3,000 retention bonuses for public safety employees and law enforcement. 

"This funding will allow us to proactively work to mitigate the growing crisis of homicides and violent crimes in metro Atlanta and holistically address the root causes and effects of crime throughout DeKalb County," Thurmond said.

The bonuses will be paid for with an allocated $6.7 million. employees eligible for bonuses include public safety employees, including police officers, firefighters, E-911 employees, medical examiner investigators, sheriff’s deputies, district attorney’s investigators and state and juvenile court probation officers.

RELATED: How President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan affects Georgia

The DeKalb County Police Department plans to purchase a bus to use as a "mobile police precinct" for crime deterrence and service to specific communities.

The county plans to hire three additional nurses through the DeKalb Community Service Board for the Mobile Crisis Unit to address mental health crisis calls.

The plan allocates $3.2 million to courts to reduce the backlog of cases and for violence interruption strategies.

DeKalb County received $73 million in American Rescue Plan dollars. 

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