Published: May 09, 2008 11:33 pm            

Sheriff's office better equipped to fight terrorism

The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office is receiving more than $500,000 in computers, scanners, printers and other equipment as part of the Georgia Terrorism Intelligence Project (GTIP).

The sheriff’s office in one of only 28 law enforcement agencies in the state that is part of the program, established a year ago to ease communications between law enforcement agencies.

Whitfield County is part of Phase 4 of the project, said Ken Davis of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. The sheriff’s office is only required to provide the manpower, said Maj. John Gibson of the Sheriff’s Office.

Detective Chris Guay will be training for 10 weeks this year, which includes courses on how to recognize and analyze possible threats of terrorism.

“All of the officers will have the same equipment, they will have the same training,” Gibson said. “It’s going to be easier for them to exchange information.”

The grand is funded through the Federal Department of Homeland Security.

“We have not had any documented cases of terrorism inside our county,” Gibson said. “That being said, we are on a major freeway between two metropolitan areas. We are on one of the most heavily traveled interstates in the United States.”

The sheriff’s office also can use the equipment to help in their own investigations, he said.

“It is the same type of equipment used to investigate drug dealers and money launderers,” Gibson said. “Now this equipment will be available to us.”

        

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