Newton County approves grant applications for sheriff’s camera program and fire department safety materials

The Newton County Board of Commissioners authorized two grant applications during its May 20 meeting: the sheriff’s office will apply to a QuikTrip grant program for cameras, and the county fire services will apply to an Auto Club Foundation grant for traffic‑safety educational materials.

Sheriff Ezel Brown told commissioners QuikTrip awards grants to nonprofit and public‑safety entities and said the sheriff’s office planned to apply for funds to support a camera program for community locations, including parks. "QuickTrip donates more than 5% of its annual profit back to the community," Brown said. He estimated the grant amount "somewhere in 89,000" and described the program as having no local match requirement.

Deputy Chief Craig Lumpkin presented the Auto Club Foundation application, explaining it would fund traffic‑safety equipment and materials for community and school outreach. Lumpkin said the grant requires no matching funds.

Both applications received board approval to proceed; the sheriff’s office noted the QuikTrip application deadline is June 27 and that award allocations are competitive.

Why it matters: Grant funds could expand local camera coverage and traffic‑safety education without requiring county matching dollars. Commissioners asked only limited questions; locations for sheriff cameras were withheld at the sheriff’s direction.