SAFFORD — The Graham County Board of Supervisors gave Sheriff P.J. Allred the green light to seek additional funds for law enforcement efforts.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the board unanimously approved Allred’s requests to seek a $27,000 grant from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission for drug, gang and violent crime control — with $7,000 to the Sheriff’s Office and $20,000 for the other area law enforcement agencies — $24,737 in grants from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for DUI enforcement overtime; and $100,000 from Arizona Department of Public Safety for enforcement of immigration, human smuggling, drug smuggling, gang and employer sanction laws, as well as reimbursement for associated jail costs.
“Having those officers out, farther out of town where they normally sit for this, definitely helps with our traffic situation towards San Jose and also towards the Fort Grant turnoff area. It definitely slows people down so it helps us to be able to make a good presence out there, too,” Supervisor Clay Mack said.
The board also unanimously approved acceptance of $70,000 from Arizona Department of Homeland Security for overtime to patrol the highways for drug trafficking and undocumented aliens.
