Graham County Sheriff’s Office Receives $143,000 Technology Grant

PRESS RELEASE – The Graham County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded approximately $143,000 in grant funding to upgrade technology and equipment used by deputies and other personnel throughout the agency.

According to the sheriff’s office, the funding will provide 25 GETAC S510 rugged computers, 12 Cradlepoint units, mounting and docking equipment for 21 vehicles, and two desktop docking stations.

The grant is structured as a reimbursement program, meaning Graham County will initially purchase the approved equipment and then receive reimbursement through the grant.

Officials said the technology upgrade is particularly significant for the rural sheriff’s office, where deputies frequently spend extended periods in the field and may be miles from the agency’s headquarters.

The rugged computers will allow deputies to complete reports, access law enforcement systems and remain connected while working in the field. The new equipment will also be used by the agency’s Criminal Investigations, Narcotics and Evidence divisions.

The grant opportunity developed after Sheriff Russell Moody initially sought an affordable way to replace aging computers within the department.

Moody contacted Eddie Caldwell with the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association to determine whether another law enforcement agency had serviceable equipment available for donation.

That outreach eventually connected the Graham County Sheriff’s Office with Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood and Caroline Farmer with the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, leading to the grant opportunity.

The sheriff’s office credited the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, Eddie Caldwell, Sheriff Charles Blackwood, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Caroline Farmer for helping secure the funding.

“This is a significant upgrade,” the sheriff’s office said in announcing the grant, noting that the new technology will provide deputies with additional resources while serving residents throughout Graham County.

Moody expressed gratitude to the organizations and individuals involved in securing the funding.

“Graham County is extremely blessed to have people and organizations across this state who are willing to step up and help our little ol’ Sheriff’s Office,” Moody said. “We are truly thankful for everyone who had a part in making this possible and for the resources that will allow us to better serve our citizens.”