As the Rowan County United Way (RCUW) 2020-2021 campaign kicks off, the Salisbury Police Department (SPD) is putting last year’s United Way Grant Funding towards substance abuse prevention and detection, one of RCUW’s impact areas.
After the 2019-2020 campaign, SPD received $96,000 towards the purchase of 10 cameras in Salisbury areas most affected by drug overdoses and drug sales. The camera purchases also coincide with the debut of the Rowan Regional Crime Intelligence Center to be housed in the PD headquarters. Additional technologies in the Regional Crime Intelligence Center was made possible by a $500,000 federal grant.
The RCUW Grantee Memorandum of Agreement states that the RCUW “focuses on creating measurable opportunities for our community to succeed and thrive, with an emphasis on addressing the areas of greatest need and with a focus on improving their lives… we will direct all of our resources to the following impact areas: Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Healthy Lifestyles Behaviors and Basic Needs.”
“We are very grateful to the Rowan County United Way and the 2019-2020 campaign supporters who gave so generously so that we can combat substance abuse and related crimes in our community,” said Police Chief Jerry Stokes. “The grant makes it possible for us to view hot spot areas of crime in real time. Our goal is always to make Salisbury a safe place for our residents. With the implementation of the Regional Crime Intelligence Center and the new cameras, we are well on our way to making Salisbury safer and see a reduction in the toll overdose has on the community.”