The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office will soon be outfitted with new digital communication radios – an important upgrade for local law enforcement, which has been a long-time coming.

During the most recent meeting of the Cherokee County Commission – Commissioner Marcie Foster allotted six thousand dollars from her budget to help finance the purchase of that new equipment

Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver

Commission Member Carlton Teague also gave $2,500 toward that purchase and Commissioner Kimball Parker also helped to make up that funding shortfall by giving several hundred dollars from his discretionary money.

Additional equipment for the sheriff’s office is still needed – Commissioner Foster tells us more

Foster also informed WEIS Radio News that studies have shown that tasers significantly reduced the number of altercations that subjects have with officers, which in turn has lowered workman comp claims from on-the-job injuries.

Deployment of a taser also allows law enforcement to subdue a suspect without having to resort to using a firearm.

Plans are also for Courthouse Security to be outfitted with the new tasers should officers there be confronted with anyone getting out of hand due to a highly emotional domestic dispute or similar situation.

The next regular meeting of the Cherokee County Commission is slated for Tuesday May 27th at 5:00pm – taking place in the County Administration Building in Centre; that meeting is open to the public.