Carbon County is looking to secure funding to help upgrade 16 computers for the county sheriff’s office.

On Thursday, the board of commissioners approved a grant application requesting $60,000 through the Community Project Funding Program to upgrade 16 Panasonic Toughbooks for the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Dan Zeigler said that the current computers that the department uses will not support Windows 11 and upgrading the computers is necessary to maintain compliance with the current CJIS and CLEAN security policies.

He said if the upgrade doesn’t happen, the computers will not be functional, but they are a necessary piece of equipment for his staff because they take them on the road to do their work.

Each Toughbook costs approximately $4,400.

Zeigler said the county will also submit letters of support from police chiefs in Jim Thorpe and Palmerton, the Carbon County Chiefs of Police Association and state Rep. Doyle Heffley and Sen. David Argall.

Zeigler thanked Valerie Saveri, the county grants coordinator, for her help in getting this application ready.

The Community Project Funding Program is a federal appropriations process that allows members of Congress to provide funding for projects that benefit the people they serve.

According to U.S. Congressman Ryan Mackenzie’s website, the program is open to state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations.