WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - State leaders announced the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office have received a federal grant for new technology to help prevent violent crime. 

Sen. Jerry Moran was in Wichita Wednesday to announce the funding. Combined, both law enforcement agencies will receive portions of over a million dollars in federal resources. 

“I do have some good news to announce today that I think will be beneficial not only to law enforcement, the sheriff and police chief, but…and as well as their officers, but valuable to the community as well,” Moran said. 

Wichita Police will receive $1.6 million. Interim Chief Troy Livingston said the department will spend the money on cameras for interview rooms, surveillance equipment and license plate readers. 

"As we develop our strategy on fighting crime, we'll run the statistics and see where the place to place…to put those,” Livingston said. 

Specifically, WPD said it will use the money to purchase 50 new Flock camera systems, a tag reader. Since the department first started using them in 2020, police said the cameras have helped police recover nearly $4 million in stolen property. 

"These things are very useful for us and identifying people that are wanted, especially if we have a warrant for a violent felony offender,” Livingston said. 

City leaders also said the Flock cameras have helped WPD recover approximately 375 vehicles, and the system has helped lead to almost 400 arrests. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is receiving $140,000 to add just over 100 new cameras to its detention facility. 

“There’s no secret we're short-staffed,” Sheriff Jeff Easter said. “These cameras are going into dorms which currently do not have deputies in them, and so, we have not as good a look inside those dorms as we should.”