BATAVIA, Ohio — The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office will receive $400,800 in federal funding to support its S.A.F.E. Unit, county commissioners decided during their Oct. 28 regular session.
Commissioners voted 3-0 to authorize Ken Mullis to electronically accept the award on the county’s behalf, according to meeting minutes. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance FY26 Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants Program, under federal grant award number 15PBJA-26-GG-00954-BRND.
The grant is fully funded by the federal government and requires no local cash match, the county said. It covers the period from Aug. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027, with the sheriff’s office required to file quarterly reports on how the money is used. All of the funding is designated to support S.A.F.E. Unit operations, according to the resolution.
The sheriff’s office established the S.A.F.E. Unit — short for Surveillance, Analysis and Forensic Evidence — within its crime lab in November 2025 to handle digital evidence collection and forensic analysis. The unit expanded its reach in September when the sheriff’s office partnered with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to add ballistics and crime-gun intelligence capabilities, using ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.
Commissioners also finalized other business during the Oct. 28 session. They executed a not-to-exceed $99,991 agreement with Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. to complete a transit study for Clermont Transportation Connection, running from Oct. 28 through May 17, 2027. They also executed a not-to-exceed $198,525 contract with Calvin Electric LLC to replace, install and program audiovisual systems in four courtrooms at the Clermont County Municipal Court.
The board additionally adopted a resolution to advertise for construction bids on the Orchard Valley Lift Station Upgrade Project in Miami Township. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for Dec. 3, with bids due by 2 p.m. Dec. 10 at the commissioners’ office, 101 E. Main St. in Batavia.
Commissioners opened the meeting with a proclamation designating Oct. 28, 2026, as “National First Responders Day” in Clermont County.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Clermont County Board of Commissioners.