Guidelines of the program require that the funds be deposited into a

separate revenue account that is used solely for federal shared money

and cannot be mixed with funds from any other source, Rider noted in

the letter.

"It would therefore not be permissible for equitable sharing for

the Fayette County Sheriff's Department to be deposited into the

county treasury unless kept in a separate account or under a separate

accounting code," Rider said.

Rider also noted that the

Justice Department reviewed several Georgia laws cited by Dunn to buttress

his claim that the county should receive

the funds and equipment instead of the sheriff's department. But

nothing in those statutes prohibits the sheriff's department from

receiving the funds nor does it authorize the county commission,�instead

of the sheriff, to designate the contact person for the equitable sharing

program, Rider said.

At the request of Sheriff

Randall Johnson, the contact person for the shared asset funds and

equipment will continue to be Lt. Col. Bruce Jordan,

director of investigations for the sheriff's department.

When asked about the letter

Monday night, Dunn said the county doesn't

agree with it and is still having discussions with attorneys over the

issue.

"The letter seems to indicate that we were going to put the funds

in our general fund. That was never our intentions. We've always

known it would have to be in a separate account," he said.

Dunn reiterated the county's

position that all they are seeking is accountability.

"We just want it be legal

like all the other departments."