FY27 Community Project Funding

Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

Project Name: Bennettsville Police Department Equipment and Technology Upgrades Project
Project Recipient: Bennettsville Police Department
Recipient’s Address: 254 US 15-401 Bypass E, Bennettsville, South Carolina 29512
Amount Requested: $250,000

Purpose of Project: This funding will be used to upgrade the Bennettsville Police Department’s communication equipment by purchasing 25 dual-band portable radios, along with essential accessories and deployment support, ensuring seamless communication across local, county, and state systems. The department’s current system has not been upgraded since 2004 and no longer meets modern standards, creating risks of communication failures, limited coverage, and delays during critical incidents. Modernizing this equipment will improve reliability, strengthen coordination among first responders, enhance response times, and reduce long-term maintenance costs. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because it improves interoperability across agencies, strengthens emergency response capabilities, enhances officer and public safety, and ensures the community is better protected during emergencies.

Member Signed Certification Letter

Project Name: Florence County Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Helicopter Project
Project Recipient: Florence County Sheriff's Office
Recipient’s Address: 6719 Friendfield Road, Effingham, South Carolina 29541
Amount Requested: $3,800,000

Purpose of Project: This funding will be used to acquire and outfit a modern helicopter for the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, replacing an aging aircraft with updated aviation, communications, and safety technology. The current helicopter has obsolete components, limited payload capacity, and rising maintenance costs that reduce reliability and operational effectiveness. As one of the only aviation units in the region, the department provides critical aerial support across the Pee Dee for search and rescue, suspect location, disaster response, traffic enforcement, and drug interdiction, as well as multi-jurisdictional operations. Upgrading this asset will improve mission readiness, increase response speed, and enhance coordination during emergencies. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because it ensures reliable emergency response capabilities, strengthens regional public safety infrastructure, reduces long-term maintenance costs, and supports more effective law enforcement operations across multiple jurisdictions.

Member Signed Certification Letter

Project Name: City of Marion TDMA Radio Upgrade Project
Project Recipient: City of Marion
Recipient’s Address: 107 S. Main Street, Marion, South Carolina 29571
Amount Requested: $460,000

Purpose of Project: This funding will be used to replace obsolete radios for the City of Marion Police Department with TDMA-compliant equipment required to operate on South Carolina’s Palmetto 800 public safety communications system. This investment will ensure that law enforcement personnel can maintain seamless communication with one another and with surrounding jurisdictions, preserving interoperability and coordination during emergencies and daily operations. Without this upgrade, the City risks losing reliable access to the state’s primary communications network, creating serious public safety risks and potential communication failures during critical incidents. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because it strengthens emergency response capabilities, preserves interoperability across agencies, avoids more costly future system replacements, and ensures a rural, resource-constrained community can maintain reliable, modern communications to protect public safety.

Member Signed Certification Letter

Project Name: Dillon County Sheriff's Office Vehicle and Equipment Upgrade
Project Recipient: Dillon County Sheriff's Office
Recipient’s Address: 1033 Old Latta Highway, Suite A, Dillon, South Carolina 29536
Amount Requested: $592,000

Purpose of Project: This funding will be used to replace aging patrol vehicles and upgrade outdated communication systems for Dillon County law enforcement, ensuring deputies have the reliable tools needed for daily operations. New vehicles will improve response times, reduce maintenance costs, and enhance officer safety, while modern 800 MHz radios will strengthen communication clarity, interoperability, and real-time coordination during emergencies and high-risk incidents. In a jurisdiction with a high rate of violent crime, these upgrades are critical to maintaining a strong law enforcement presence and protecting the public. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because it improves response capabilities, enhances officer and community safety, reduces long-term operational costs, and strengthens overall law enforcement effectiveness.

Member Signed Certification Letter

Project Name: Georgetown County Sheriff's Office Records Management and Archival Upgrades Project
Project Recipient: Georgetown County Sheriff's Office
Recipient’s Address: 430 North Fraser Street, Georgetown, South Carolina 29442
Amount Requested: $940,000

Purpose of Project: This funding will be used to modernize the Sheriff’s Office records management system, replacing outdated and unsearchable records with a secure, accessible, and efficient digital system. This upgrade will allow deputies and investigators to quickly access critical information, connect related cases, identify crime trends, and improve case resolution times. It will also enhance evidence preservation, support timely legal and public records requests, and strengthen overall accountability and transparency. By eliminating duplicative systems and improving inventory tracking, the project will reduce administrative inefficiencies and lower long-term costs while enabling more proactive, data-driven policing. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because it improves public safety outcomes, strengthens law enforcement effectiveness, enhances accountability, and ensures resources are used efficiently and responsibly.

Member Signed Certification Letter

Project Name: City of Myrtle Beach Police Gunshot Detection Expansion Project
Project Recipient: Myrtle Beach Police Department
Recipient’s Address: 1101 North Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29577
Amount Requested: $710,000

Purpose of Project: This funding will be used to expand the Myrtle Beach Police Department’s gunshot detection system, leveraging proven technology to provide precise, real-time intelligence that improves response accuracy and supports proactive, data-driven policing. Expanding coverage will allow officers to quickly locate confirmed gunfire, reduce time spent on inconclusive calls, improve victim response, and increase the likelihood of evidence recovery and suspect apprehension. This investment enhances deployment efficiency by allowing law enforcement to focus resources where they are most needed, while reducing inefficiencies associated with repeated calls and unresolved incidents. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because it improves public safety outcomes, increases law enforcement effectiveness, reduces long-term operational costs, and strengthens community confidence by delivering measurable, results-driven impact.

Member Signed Certification Letter

Project Name: City of Hartsville Police Department Vehicles Project
Project Recipient: City of Hartsville
Recipient’s Address: 100 E. Carolina Ave., Hartsville, South Carolina 29551
Amount Requested: $500,000

Purpose of Project: This funding will be used to replace aging patrol vehicles for the Hartsville Police Department, ensuring officers have reliable, mission-critical equipment to support daily operations and emergency response. Upgrading the fleet will reduce maintenance costs, improve reliability, and prevent service disruptions, allowing officers—including School Resource Officers—to respond quickly, maintain a visible presence, and engage proactively with the community. These vehicles will also enhance coordination with partner agencies across Darlington County, strengthening overall response capabilities. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because it improves officer and public safety, reduces long-term maintenance costs, enhances law enforcement effectiveness, and ensures efficient use of resources by replacing an aging fleet with dependable equipment.

Member Signed Certification Letter

Project Name: Town of Nichols Public Safety Upgrades
Project Recipient: Town of Nichols
Recipient’s Address: 514 Mullins Street, Nichols, South Carolina 29581
Amount Requested: $209,961

Purpose of Project: This funding will be used to equip the Nichols Police Department with license plate recognition (LPR) technology and protective vests, enhancing crime prevention capabilities and officer safety. LPR technology will allow officers to identify stolen vehicles, track known offenders, and detect criminal activity in real time, helping disrupt illegal activity along a major route to Myrtle Beach and strengthening regional enforcement efforts. This targeted investment expands the department’s capabilities without requiring ongoing operational funding, delivering long-term value for taxpayers while supporting a rural community still recovering from past flood impacts. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because it improves crime prevention, enhances officer safety, strengthens regional coordination, and delivers high-impact public safety benefits through a cost-effective, technology-driven investment.

Member Signed Certification Letter