Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia House Speaker David Ralston Monday announced the next step in state Republican leadership\u2019s commitment to prioritize public safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The state will offer one-time $1,000 bonuses to nearly 81,000 police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders throughout Georgia, Kemp said during a news conference inside the state Capitol. The $100 million initiative comes in addition to $25 million in bonuses Ralston proposed in July for a smaller group of sworn law enforcement officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The governor and speaker said Georgia\u2019s first responders have weathered tremendous hardships in the last 18 months dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and a loss of respect for law enforcement that accompanied the national \u201cdefund the police\u201d movement sparked by some street protesters last summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe know it\u2019s never been harder to wear a badge,\u201d said Ralston, R-Blue Ridge. \u201cWe want to ensure our officers know we appreciate their service and sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kemp said police and fire departments and other emergency response agencies will be able to apply to the Governor\u2019s Office of Planning and Budget for grants that will pay for the bonuses between Oct. 1 and the end of the year. The funds will come from Georgia\u2019s $4.8 billion share of federal COVID-19 relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The money will go to all eligible public safety officers and first responders, including police and sheriff\u2019s department employees, parole and probation officers, prison and jail guards, emergency-medical technicians and paramedics, criminal investigators, court bailiffs, fish and game wardens, 911 dispatchers and evidence processors with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The $25 million in law enforcement raises Ralston proposed during the summer is part of a $75 million allocation the speaker is requesting to bolster public safety and mental health services in Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n