Georgia’s Speaker of the House proposing bonuses for law enforcement, mental health training

METRO ATLANTA — It’s a $75 million proposal that would be directed towards law enforcement, judicial and mental health services in the state of Georgia.

And while it is not a law at this time, Georgia’s Speaker of the House, David Ralston, plans to push for the funding during 2022′s legislative session.

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Ralston made the announcement Tuesday at the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council Summer Training Conference in Jekyll Island.

He explained that $25 million would go towards a one-time bonus for law enforcement officers and the remaining funds would be directed towards mental health training for state law enforcement, judicial and mental health agencies.

“We owe it to our communities to bolster law enforcement and mental health services in a time when some areas of our state are seeing a dramatic increase in crime and the number of individuals in need of mental health care,” Ralston said. “This proposal is one I am proud to offer and the House of Representatives will stand firmly behind when we consider it as part of our 2022 budget process.”

Ralston told the prosecutors he is asking for a one-time, $1,000 bonus for each POST-certified local police officer and sheriff’s deputy and that money would be made available through a grant process. He says the money will not be able to be used for other purposes.

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Ralston’s proposal for the $50 million includes; $20 million directed towards the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, $10 million towards salary increases for state prosecutors and public defenders with the remaining funds directed towards other agency requests and program needs that focus on mental health services.

The GBI funding would be directed towards funding new staff for death investigations, forensic services and specialized task forces.

Ralston’s proposal would also add funding for the GBI to initiate investigations in cases where election fraud is suspected. Earlier this week, Channel 2 Action News reported on Ralston’s request for the GBI to initiate an audit of Fulton County’s 2020 election results, something the county rejected.

Currently, the agency cannot step into such things unless the county involved requests their help.

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Finally, Ralston said his proposal would target $7 million to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to add crisis beds. $2 million would go towards salary increases and more staffing for Georgia’s accountability courts. Another $3 million in agency funding would go towards the combating crime in the City of Atlanta.

“I have said many times that for us to continue to be a great state, we must also focus on being a good state – one that cares for those who need it,” said Ralston. “Mental health is something that touches almost every family in this state, so investing in mental health services and our accountability courts is not just good business – it is also a way of helping people recover and reunite with their families.”

The entire plan will be considered in the next legislative session which begins in January 2022.

Fulton County responds to Republican request for GBI to audit election

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