Some deputies may not have to worry about their home as much when they’re out patrolling the streets.
On Wednesday, State Farm partnered with home security startup Canary to give 500 Gwinnett County deputies devices to help monitor their homes while they’re on the job.
And it couldn’t have come at a better time, Sheriff Butch Conway told Channel 2.
“It means a lot,” he said. “We’ve been taking a hammering from the media for a while now, and it’s just good to see people wanting to give back to (officers) and appreciate what they are doing.”
Gwinnett was one of 16 counties to receive the devices and the only one in Georgia.
“Every day thousands of Americans wake up and go to work to protect the people in their community,” Canary spokesman John Carter said in a news release. “They dedicate their lives to keeping us safe and we wanted to do something to help keep their homes and families safe while they’re on the job.”
The gift comes after organizers in Charlotte, N.C., and Tulsa, Okla., protested police-involved shootings of two black men.
More than 450 protesters marched through downtown Atlanta on Friday and called for better police accountability, specifically concerning police-involved shootings.
Still, Gwinnett Deputy Francis Woods told Channel 2 he feels safer knowing there’s added protection.
“It brings a great peace of mind considering everything that’s going on today,” he said. “We are target No. 1, unfortunately.”
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