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The Smarr Smith Foundation (SSF) was established to honor law enforcement officers in the spirit of officers Nick Smarr and Jody Smith. To honor their memory, the SSF gifted the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office with much needed, top of the line, body cameras. These nine body cameras, valued over $4,700 provide them with cutting edge technology and as Sheriff Eric Bryant reports, gets the office closer to their goal of getting all officers outfitted in this equipment.

The funding for these cameras came directly from the SSF fundraiser for 2020. Smarr Smith Foundation relies on the community to gather to celebrate our law enforcement and honor Nick and Jody. Being 2020 was marked with COVID-19 restrictions the foundation had to be creative in their efforts to follow through in their mission. Barrow’s Gun Shop in Butler, GA saw their place in the mission. They donated four firearms to SSF in which SSF trusted this community would rise up and participate in a raffle. As has been the case since in inception, this village did just that and SSF was able to bestow those gifts upon SCSO, GSW Public Safety and Americus Police Department. Do your dollars make an impact? Sheriff Bryant emphasizes the importance of the gift. “In this day in law enforcement we want to make sure all our officers are equipped in order to protect them and protect the citizens, so with this donation today we are able to insure coverage. We are excited about our donation today and look forward to getting these cameras assigned to deputies. We are grateful for that.”

SSF President, Jessie Simmons, adds her appreciation to donors and to Barrow’s. “For our donations from 2020 we were fortunately able to purchase 9 Axon body cameras for the Sheriff’s Office, which were greatly needed.” She emphasizes such a gift is only possible due to donors who continue to offer their support. The Smarr Smith Foundation is honored to serve our village in this manner and be but a small piece of the Nick Smarr and Jody Smith story. It is also SSF’s honor to be a vessel of showing appreciation to some of the finest among us, our law enforcement.