KINGSLAND — A sheriff on the Georgia coast says his department needs a military-style armored vehicle to help defend a Navy base in his county.

Camden County Sheriff Jim 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.

Camden County occupies Georgia’s southeast corner and has a population of only about 55,000 people.

Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor is seeking a $350,000 grant from the federal Department of Homeland Security so it can buy an armored personnel carrier to protect the King's Bay naval submarine base off the Georgia coast.

Credit: Sandy Huffaker

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Credit: Sandy Huffaker

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.

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Stacey Abrams speaks at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris at Georgia State University’s convocation center in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Abrams is at the center of speculation over whether she will mount a third campaign for governor. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

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