Overtime project. Lamar county request funding for overtime to reduce crime in areas of high drug and gang activity

The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Program awarded Lamar County Sheriff's Department $109,900 on October 1, 2025, through the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program (CFDA 16.710).

The funding supports overtime costs for law enforcement personnel deployed to reduce crime in high drug and gang activity areas within Lamar County. The staffing includes ten patrol deputies with specialized training, the Major of Operations, and three gang and narcotics investigators. Enhanced law enforcement presence in these targeted areas is intended to create safer communities for residents and support greater overall jurisdictional coverage.

Performance runs through September 30, 2027, with work conducted in Purvis, Mississippi. The Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program funds state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to implement community policing strategies through partnerships, organizational transformation, and problem-solving approaches aimed at advancing public safety and building community trust.

A reduction in crime in these areas would allow for greater law enforcement presence throughout the jurisdiction. This project could greatly affect law abiding citizens living in areas by offering them a safer, lower crime impacted space to live, work and raise their families. Funding for overtime will be used for the following units/officers: 1. (10) patrol deputies with specialized training 2. Major of operations 3. (3) gang/narcotics investigators