INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office is seeking a grant that would help offset the salaries of five new deputies over the next three years.
Sheriff Deryl Loar pitched the grant application to the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday morning and garnered the Board’s unanimous support.
“We’re excited about this,” Sheriff Loar said of the possibility of getting the grant, though the probability sits at an estimated 17 percent.
Sheriff Loar said the new hires would be assigned to focusing on violent crimes.
The total amount for the grant, including the required local match, over three years is just shy of $900,000. Of that, the Sheriff’s Office would pony up a little more than $270,000.
Commissioner Bob Solari asked Sheriff Loar if the local match portion was already in the Sheriff’s Department’s budget. Sheriff Loar affirmed that his budget does include the match, split over three years.
It is unknown when the Sheriff’s Office will learn that its grant application has been approved or denied.
