The Kingsport Police Department recently received $104,900 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which it used to purchase a variety of new equipment and to send an officer to the National Forensic Academy in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

The academy is a 10-week program designed to meet the needs of law enforcement agencies in evidence identification, collection, and preservation. Participants undergo 400 hours of training and are challenged in the various disciplines through classroom instruction, lab activities, and field practicums in the specialized courses.

KPD typically sends one officer every two years to the program.

As for the equipment, the KPD has purchased or plans to purchase the following:

Communication headsets – thirteen have been ordered for the department’s SWAT team. The headsets have to be custom-made and will take approximately 10 months to complete.

Indoor drones – the department has purchased a set of military-grade drones designed and built specifically to use inside of buildings. Both drones are operated from one control pad, which can toggle back and forth between the two drones.

Low-rise holster adapters – seventy-five have been purchased and the adapters allow an officer to carry his service pistol lower on the waist, increasing the draw stroke from a more natural position.

Mobile radar units – eight have been purchased and should arrive later this year. The devices will be installed in police cruisers and will allow an officer to use radar, both front and back, while the vehicle is moving.

Officer uniforms – the department has switched from a wool blend to a performance fabric, which is light-weight, wind and water resistant, stretchable and durable and better fitting for the officer. Patrol officers received three such uniforms, while every other officer received one.

Security cameras – new ones will be purchased to supplement existing cameras inside the Justice Center. The new cameras will replace old and outdated ones, while also covering the blank spots inside the building.

Trauma kits – the department has purchased 150 kits and every officer will receive one. Among other things, the kits will stop the bleeding in the event someone gets shot.

“The ARPA funds enabled us to get training and purchase things we otherwise wouldn’t be able to do,” said KPD Commander Sean Chambers. “The vast majority of this equipment is going to be used for us to do our job better and safer than we currently do.”

Learn more about the Kingsport Police Department here.