The Calaveras County Sheriff´s Department is hoping nearly 800-thousand dollars in grant money will help out during these difficult budget times.

Sheriff Dennis Downum tells the Calaveras Enterprise that the county has received a 500-thousand dollar Small and Rural County Law Enforcement Grant.

That grant helps the budgets of small sheriff´s offices, but had been eliminated last year during the state budget crisis.

Downum says Assemblyman Dave Cogdill gets the credit there.

The Calaveras County Sheriff´s department has also won 196-thousand dollars in Federal Homeland Security Money, which will be used to replace and expand emergency services equipment.

Downum says that money will be used in large part for a new Hazardous Materials truck, as well as a bom disposal robot, satellite radios, and thermal imaging devices.