The Junction City Police Department and Geary County Sheriff’s Office will be using funds from this year’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to purchase a new throw phone.

Both agencies were awarded $15,531 through the grant, which will cover over half of the new throw phone.

Junction City Police Chief, Tim Brown explained that they will use drug forfeiture funds to make up the difference on the cost of the phone.

“The cost of the crisis response video throw phone system, is in the ballpark of $25,000. We will augment that with drug asset forfeiture money,” said Brown. “This will be a county-wide asset available to not only the Junction City Police Department but the Geary County Sheriff’s Office and Grandview Plaza Police Department, or any other law enforcement entity were to come into the County.”

The throw phone will replace one that is currently between 15 and 20 years old. Two JCPD Officers are certified hostage negotiators and have trained with the new throw phone.

“We now have, as you know, the mobile command post, and that coupled with this, coupled with the swat team, all the things will be in place that we need for these types of situations should they arise.”