Part of Seized Property Funds for Police Team Focused on Active Shooter Situations

Sandy Springs Police Chief Terry Sult presented his annual report on expenditures from state and federal seizures during last week’s City Council meeting.

Sult told Council members that the department has about $350,000 in fund accounts from seized property.

A state restricted account holds money that is released after processing fees and filing monies are paid, for example, to the district attorney or city clerk's office. A state unrestricted account is the where the funds arrive when they become available. And a federal unrestricted account holds funds from federal government seizures.

Sult’s report shows that in 2011, $100, 749.99 was spent from state unrestricted funds on law enforcement training, Heroes of Sandy Springs exhibit items at Heritage Sandy Springs, a Ford Expedition to help emergency personnel get to and from work in dangerous weather conditions, a surveillance trailer, and several other expenditures.

The report shows $45, 680.64 from federal unrestricted funds. Sult said nearly all of the money went to a new tactical team focused on active shooter situations. 

“[It’s] comprised of officers that are on duty that are a little extra prepared; a little extra equipped to handle situations that unfortunately we are experiencing across the country right now,” Sult told Council members. “So if we run into a Virginia Tech scenario, we can go into a school and not have to wait...for the SWAT team to show up.”

Additionally, the team would handle civil protests, the Chief said.

Click on the PDF image to see Sult's items in Sult's report.