County fortunate to receive gun grant

By Staff
Our opinion
With the state budget crisis and across-the-board funding cutbacks, any new money a local government body can find is more than welcome.
That's especially the case when the money will help pay to keep local residents safe.
Morgan County's District Attorney's Office received word this week they will receive $250,000 as part of Project ICE, a federal program designed to crack down on gun offenses.
The county's two-year project, known as Project Freeze, (Firearms Regulation Enforcement and Education Zone) will not only crack down on those who commit crimes with guns, but also firearms traffickers. The program will also provide education on gun safety and proper firearm use.
The money will fund a specialized firearms prosecutor and one other employee to work on the project.
Morgan County is the only county in the state to receive federal grant money and its timing couldn't be better.
Across the state, DAs and the courts are being hit hard by the budget fallout following the defeat of Gov. Bob Riley's tax and reform plan.
The result will be a slowdown in our court systems and even more backlog.
Still in this time of financial crisis, Morgan County District Attorney Bob Burrell and his staff should be commended for their work in landing this grant and their efforts to keep us all safe.