WOODBINE, Ga. – Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor says his department needs a military-style armored vehicle to help defend a Navy base in his county.
Proctor is seeking a $350,000 grant from the federal Department of Homeland Security so it can buy an armored personnel carrier. Sheriff’s Capt. Larry Bruce told The Brunswick News the vehicle would have room to transport up to a dozen deputies.
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Camden County occupies Georgia’s southeast corner and has a population of only about 55,000 people.
Bruce said a military-style vehicle would make deputies better equipped to respond to emergencies at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in St. Marys. The base is the East Coast hub for Navy submarines armed with nuclear missiles.
“There are certain situations where we need that type of equipment,” Bruce said.
The Navy provides plenty of security at Kings Bay. But the sheriff’s office needs to be ready to assist with emergencies at the base, Bruce said. He said that deputies, firefighters and other civilian agencies have taken part with Navy personnel in mock emergency drills at the base.