DAVIS COUNTY, IOWA -- Southeast Iowa law enforcement agencies are taking advantage of several state and federal grants provided to departments throughout the year. 

The first grant is the STEP grant. This grant provides local agencies funding to increase patrols during certain times of the year; making sure that drivers are following state laws, such as wearing seatbelts and following the correct speed limit.

Another grant that is helping one local sheriff’s office is allowing new cameras to be placed in vehicles to help deputies with investigations.

“Our deputies are out looking for various violations; and you know just this Thanksgiving week, there was a lot of traffic. People were traveling across the United States and people were coming through our county as well, as these other counties and these other entities take part in this program as well,” said Sheriff Dave Davis of the Davis County Sheriff’s Office when referring to the STEP program.

In regards to the camera equipment, Sheriff Davis says that the grant is helpful, being that the equipment is so expensive.

“We are able to get equipment that is useful in our line of work; and the one thing that we really look at, because they are expensive is in car video cameras, because they do assist our officers here during investigations,” Sheriff Davis said.

Davis says that the equipment can range from just under $2000 to more than $5000.