Sheriff: council approves $28,000 in ICJI traffic grants and permits K21 scanner grant application

The Kosciusko County Council approved multiple public‑safety funding actions during its Jan. 8 meeting: additional appropriations for three Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) overtime reimbursement grants totaling $28,000 and authorization for the sheriff to apply for a K21 matching grant to upgrade the jail's body scanner.

Sheriff Chris described the ICJI grants as overtime reimbursement awards: $12,000 for CITI, $8,000 for stop‑arm enforcement and $8,000 for DUI enforcement. The council moved and approved the appropriation for those grants.

Sheriff Chris also requested permission to apply for a K21 grant to replace an eight‑year‑old scanner in the jail with newer hardware and software that the sheriff said would better detect contraband and improve staff and inmate safety. The new scanner carries an estimated annual maintenance fee of about $12,500; the proposed funding model is a 50% K21 match and 50% from the jail commissary fund. Officials said if the grant is not awarded, the commissary would cover the full cost; the council approved the application and matching‑fund authorization, with John Barrett recorded as abstaining in the sequence of votes noted in the transcript.

Separately, the council approved an appropriation adjustment for an insurance payment tied to a parking-lot collision involving a squad car.