MACON — $1,648,580 in federal grant dollars is now available to multiple communities across the Middle District of Georgia in response to the public safety challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

The grants are available under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump.

The law gives jurisdictions considerable latitude in the use of these funds for dealing with COVID-19. Potential uses include hiring personnel, paying overtime, purchasing protective equipment, distributing resources to hard-hit areas and addressing inmates’ medical needs.

Local communities allocated grant include: Tift County, Tifton, Albany, Americus, Dougherty County,, Lowndes County and Valdosta.   Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for the emergency funding. Local units of government and tribes will receive direct awards separately according to their jurisdictions’ allocations.

Any Georgia cities or counties not specifically listed, and are interested in receiving funding, can find updated information from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/cesf/state-and-local-allocations. The Justice Department is moving quickly, awarding grants on a rolling basis and aiming to have funds available for drawdown as soon as possible after receiving applications.

“Each community will have the opportunity to use this emergency funding to help address their most urgent public safety challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Peeler. “I want to thank the President and the Office of Justice Programs for making these grants available to our communities during this unprecedented time.”

“The outbreak of COVID-19 and the public health emergency it created are sobering reminders that even the most routine duties performed by our nation’s public safety officials carry potentially grave risks,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice Programs. “These funds will provide hard-hit communities with critical resources to help mitigate the impact of this crisis and give added protection to the brave professionals charged with keeping citizens safe.”

To view the allocation amounts for each community, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/program/cesf/state-and-local-allocations.