Gwinnett budget targets public safety

Public safety would get a big boost under a $1.5 billion budget approved by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Tuesday.

The 2016 budget includes 55 new police officers and new employees for the sheriff’s department, district attorney and juvenile and magistrate courts, among other departments. It also includes $8 million for 4 percent performance-based raises and $3 million to restore longevity pay for employees.

The new positions and raises indicate Gwinnett has mostly put the austerity imposed by the Great Recession behind it. Chairman Charlotte Nash said Gwinnett’s population has continued to rise even as tax revenue plummeted in the wake of the recession. She said the additional staffing for public safety addresses demand for services that has not let up.