BLUE EARTH– The Faribault County Sheriff’s Department is seeking a grant to help facilitate the purchase of more protective equipment for their officers and for officers around the county.

”The statistics are out there and we know it is more dangerous than it used to be,” chief deputy sheriff Scott Adams told the County Commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday. ”We are asking for approval to apply for a $10,000 grant from the Huisman Family Fund. We would use the money to purchase seven new NIG 3A tactical shields.”

Adams explained a shield would be placed in each of the six deputy patrol vehicles and the seventh one would be for the Blue Earth Police Department.

“We currently have one tactical shield that is 17 years old,” Adams commented. ”The shields will support the entire county as a deputy will be on scene in the event of a agitated person or an active shooter.”

Corrections officer Jennifer Howard was also at the meeting and told the commissioners the shields can also be used to help protect the public.

“There are times when the shields are utilized to protect injured people,” Howard said. ”The shields will greatly increase the safety of our officers and civilian bystanders.”

Adams shared the department was also seeking grants from Kwik Trip and the Blue Earth Community Foundation to help cover the cost of purchasing 13 helmets.

“This would be enough so every licensed deputy could have one and the Blue Earth Police Department could have two,” Adams shared. ”Eventually, we would like to help each police department in the county acquire more of this safety equipment.”

The board also:

— Approved a gambling permit application for Riverside Town & Country Club to operate a raffle on Aug. 27, 2022.

— Voted to accept $23,119 from the federal Help Americans Vote Act. The money will be used to make improvements to election security.