GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Gaston County has applied for a Department of Justice grant of up to $300 million to fund local jail improvements, crime analysis infrastructure, housing opportunities, and foster care support.
County officials submitted the application Tuesday after Charlotte leaders previously considered and rejected applying for the same federal initiative last month.
The application aims to position Gastonia as a model city for the Charlotte metropolitan area. Gaston County officials said dozens of local agencies assisted with the submission to help manage public safety needs accompanying rapid regional growth.
Chad Brown, chairman of the Gaston County Board of Commissioners, pointed to rapid population growth and highway infrastructure as key reasons for seeking federal help.
He highlighted the county’s location along Interstate 85 when describing regional law enforcement challenges.
“The major corridor for drug trafficking from Florida to New York. This is the hub,” Brown said. “We’ve grown exponentially since 2010, 20% here in Gaston County.”
Local judicial leaders said the funding could address critical facility deficits by helping construct a new county jail and establishing a crime lab.
Travis Page, district attorney for Gaston County, said a local lab would reduce evidence processing delays for murder trials and driving-while-impaired cases.
“Right now it can take us more than two years to have a gun tested in a murder case,” Page said.
He noted toxicology reports could be returned in weeks rather than half a year from the state lab, while also expanding resources for domestic violence, veterans and drug courts.
“This initiative is probably the most exciting thing that I have been a part of in the five years that I have served as DA,” Page said.
Charlotte municipal leaders opted against submitting an application due to website language listing unallowable activities, which prohibits programs that directly or indirectly violate federal immigration enforcement laws.
Brown addressed those concerns by stating the initiative applies to various government characterizations beyond U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“It’s a win for Gaston County. It’s a win for North Carolina,” Brown said.
Community opponents have raised concerns regarding expanded surveillance capabilities and federal oversight.
Estefania Arteaga, a representative with the Carolina Migrant Network, cautioned against granting federal agencies control over local policing tools.
“This grant is a mass accelerator of surveillance. We’re talking an increase in camera surveillance, plate readers,” Arteaga said. “When we are having our cities give up their power to the federal government, there has been repeated civil rights violations committed by the Federal Government.”
A committee reviewing the grant applications will select specific cities for site visits before selecting two to four grant recipients.
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