DENVER - Gov. Bill Owens has awarded his first Rural Law Enforcement Grant to the Ouray County Sheriff’s department. Two grants have been awarded totaling $30,150. The first grant was awarded in the amount of $22,050 for the purchase of a police vehicle for Sheriff Fred McKnight. The second grant of $8,100 will go toward employing an additional deputy and for time investigating criminal activity in the county.

"The funds will help in reducing crime and improving public safety in rural areas of Colorado," said Gov. Owens. "I am pleased that Ouray County will be receiving funding from this program. These funds will greatly assist Sheriff McKnight with investigating the challenges he faces."

The grant provides support to law enforcement agencies for one or more of the following purposes:

· hiring, training, and employing on a continuous basis new, additional law enforcement officers and necessary support personnel;

· paying overtime to employed law enforcement officers and necessary support personnel for the purpose of increasing the number of hours worked by such personnel;

· procuring equipment, technology, and other materials directly related to basic law enforcement functions;

· enhancing security measures in and around schools and other facilities or locations that the unit of local government considers to be at risk for incidents of crime;

· establishing or supporting drug courts;

· enhancing the adjudication of cases involving violent offenders, including cases involving violent juvenile offenders;

· establishing a multijurisdictional task force, particularly in rural areas, composed of law enforcement officials representing units of local government. These task forces must work with federal law enforcement officials to prevent and control crime;

· establishing cooperative crime prevention programs between community residents and law enforcement personnel to control, detect, or investigate crime or to prosecute criminals;

· defraying the cost indemnification insurance for law enforcement officers.