AMERICUS — Sumter County’s jail and correctional institute were granted $2 million in special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) money to upgrade their security systems, and have completed a little more than $1 million their upgrades to date.

This story focuses on the jail’s upgrades; a subsequent story coming will focus on the correctional institute.

Because the SPLOST funding was for both institutions, the money couldn’t be separated into exactly $1 million each, and the upgrades are being done simultaneously.

The Sheriff’s Office has used the jail’s portion of its money primarily to upgrade its security camera system and door security system.

According to Col. Eric Bryant, Sumter County’s chief deputy, the jail’s old technology was a “dinosaur.”

“The parts were becoming irreplaceable, so we could no longer fix (the systems) when they went down,” Bryant said. “It was becoming unsafe for (authorities) to move around. So, we feel safer and a lot more secure.”

With the new technology, computers tell authorities which doors are unsecured immediately with a red, flashing light on a computerized map. On the old system, it much more difficult to tell when a door was unsecured, risking the lives of staff members who needed to use the doors.

The new technology also brought color to the office’s video camera system, so staff members are able to see much more detail on videos. Plus, every computer portal in the jail has access to the cameras now.

Bryant said this will make a big difference if a prisoner makes an escape attempt.

In 2009, a prisoner did escape; the prisoner had a car waiting for him on the perimeter of the grounds; the man made it out of the county, but was eventually apprehended in a bordering county.

Bryant said if the jail had the new equipment in place, authorities would have had “ ... a clearer view to see him come out of the door.” That would have helped the office prevent things like this happening again — and to be better prepared.

Also, Bryant said, the video footage will be a better quality to use in trials.

“It’s well worth it,” Bryant said.

The jail and the correctional institute have $959,291 left to spend over the next five years to bring more of their facilities up to date.

Georgia’s SPLOST is at four percent now, with groceries and prescription drugs exempt, and counties are allowed to add up to two percent more for SPLOST. Sumter County’s SPLOST tax is at one percent, and Sumter County voters could weigh in on the percentage as early as 2013, according to Lynn Taylor, Sumter County’s administrator.

Counties and school systems are typically granted funds from SPLOST for funding parks, roads and other public facilities. In some special provisions, the Metro Atlanta counties and consolidated governments can have up to two percent SPLOST, but Sumter’s highest amount of SPLOST is one percent, where it is now.

Sumter County’s SPLOST is divided with Sumter County, Americus, Andersonville, Plains and Leslie based on a negotiated percentage.