U.S. Senator Katie Britt Secures $1.47 Million for Dothan, Houston County Safety Upgrades

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 3, 2024 – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), as a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, secured $1.47 million for public safety upgrades in the City of Dothan and Houston County.

The Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act includes $1.25 million in congressional directed spending that would enable the City of Dothan to procure and install a gunfire detection system. These systems use acoustic sensors to identify and report gunshots to law enforcement as soon as a shot has been fired. This empowers police officers with accurate information to quickly move into the area where a shot was fired in order to protect the community. 

The FY25 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act includes $221,000 in congressional directed spending for the Houston County Commission to upgrade emergency communications infrastructure, including a radio tower to enhance signal strength in remote portions of the County. This radio tower will be used for fire and EMS communications.

“The speed and accuracy of information makes a world of difference for law enforcement officers and first responders protecting and serving our communities,” said Senator Britt.“I’m proud to have secured $1.47 million in funding for the City of Dothan and Houston County. These funds would help keep local families safe.”

“This gunfire detection system would empower Dothan’s law enforcement officers with precise, real-time information to improve response times and hold criminals accountable. Improved radio communication will ensure our first responders can communicate quickly to get to Alabamians in times of need, including in the most rural parts of Houston County,”continued Senator Britt.

“Budget constraints are real in any police department’s budget, and the Dothan Police Department is no different. In recent years, gun fire has increased within the city of Dothan, Alabama. Senior leadership within the Dothan Police Department feel that this technology will be a ‘game changer’ when it comes to response times and the mitigation of injuries and potential deaths,” said Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba.

“The City of Dothan and its police force wish to do everything possible to keep the community safe. We view this technology as an effective way to provide additional community coverage, without putting more police officers on the streets. We are grateful for Senator Britt’s commitment to helping ensure our community is safe, and the funding for this technology will play a huge role in our efforts to fight crime,” the Mayor continued.

“The funding for our communications tower will finally allow us to meet a need that our law enforcement officers identified six years ago. We’ve struggled since then to find a solution that the County Commission could afford. I can’t say enough about Senator Britt’s efforts. She helped us identify funding avenues and kept us informed throughout the entire process. Senator Britt is a testament to the fact that good, hardworking people are still fighting for rural America,” said Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe.

The FY25 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act and the FY25 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act were recently advanced by the Senate Appropriations Committee and now await consideration by the full Senate.

Overall, Senator Britt secured $7.16 million in Justice related congressionally directed spending in the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025, including:

• $1.257 million for the City of Dothan for public safety and law enforcement technology, including the installation of the ShotSpotter Gunfire Location, Alert and Analysis Service to assist law enforcement in rapidly responding to violent crime in the city
• $300,000 for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for a mobile command center for critical incident and disaster response
• $250,000 for the City of Decatur for general law enforcement and public safety equipment and enhancements
• $400,000 for the City of Fairhope for general upgraded law enforcement and public safety equipment and technology
• $200,000 for the City of Jacksonville Police Department for a multipurpose rescue and response vehicle
• $350,000 for the City of Phenix City for public safety emergency communications equipment, including radios and upgrades to critical infrastructure
• $100,000 for the City of Roanoke for public safety emergency communications infrastructure
• $250,000 for the DeKalb County Commission for new communications equipment to modernize law enforcement vehicles
• $350,000 for the Hoover Police Department for law enforcement public safety equipment upgrades, including body-worn cameras
• $400,000 for the Pell City Police Department for equipment and technology to enhance community public safety and support law enforcement criminal investigations
• $20,000 for the Slocomb Police Department for law enforcement and public safety equipment
• $250,000 for the St. Clair County Commissions for a crisis intervention and negotiations response vehicle
• $200,000 for Alabama A&M University to improve public safety on campus, including security upgrades to residence halls
• $750,000 for the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for a Rapid DNA Implementation Program in Alabama
• $396,000 for the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office for a patrol and rescue boat, and other water and public safety equipment
• $50,000 for the Bullock County Sheriff’s Department for new law enforcement vehicles
• $200,000 for the City of Luverne Police Department for law enforcement public safety equipment, including all-terrain vehicles with needed communications equipment
• $55,000 for the City of Montevallo for a new law enforcement patrol vehicle
• $300,000 for the Etowah County Commission for law enforcement public safety equipment, including a patrol/dive vessel for the Marine / Dive unit to patrol the 437 miles of shoreline throughout the county
• $435,000 for Cleburne County’s Sheriff’s Office for modern patrol vehicles
• $650,000 for Lawrence County Commission for public safety emergency communications equipment, including new radios

BACKGROUND: 

Senator Britt is an advocate for ensuring the unique needs of Alabama’s communities—rural and urban—are met. This includes supporting our tremendous law enforcement officers and emergency responders.

Senator Britt is a staunch champion of Alabama’s law enforcement community. She is a cosponsor of the Back the Blue Act, which would strengthen existing laws that protect police officers, increase the criminal penalties for individuals who target law enforcement, and expand the tools that police can use to protect themselves. Senator Britt is also a cosponsor of the Thin Blue Line Act, which would expand the list of statutory aggravating factors in capital punishment determinations to also include killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.

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