By By Lisa Tindell – news editor
The City of Brewton and the Brewton Police Department got a pleasant surprise this week as word of a $200,000 grant award came through the office of U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.
Shelby, who is a ranking member of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, announced committee approval of a number of important projects in South Alabama included in the fiscal year 2009 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill.
The $600 million dispersed by the committee to the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services includes the $200,000 grant to the Brewton Community Access Technology Project, Shelby said.
The bill includes critical funding for the law enforcement community to upgrade technology, including in-car computers, cameras and communications systems. The funding bolsters forensic capabilities. 
Grants awarded through the grant program included Mobile County Data Sharing and Multi-Jurisdictional Interoperability – $650,000; Brewton Community Access Technology Project – $200,000; Dothan Public Safety Emergency Communications System – $300,000; Gulf Shores Law Enforcement Technology Upgrade – $350,000; Mobile Data Systems to Enhance Law Enforcement Capability for the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center – $500,000.
The subcommittee's jurisdiction includes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Economic Development Administration, the National Science Foundation and the Departments of Commerce and Justice, among others.
Brewton Police Chief Monte McGougin could not be reached for comment Friday regarding the grant.