TOPEKA — Sheriff’s offices in Russell, Rooks and Trego counties have been awwarded a grant for digital fingerprinting equipment, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a news release Monday.

Russell County will receive a grant of up to $22,006, Rooks County will receive a grant of up to $15,300, and Trego County will receive a grant of up to $15,000 from the County Law Enforcement Equipment Fund. The grants are possible because of a one-time surplus from concealed carry license fees.

“Last year’s record number of concealed carry applicants allowed us to return some funds to assist local law enforcement agencies,” Schmidt said. “Digital fingerprinting will allow the sheriff’s office to process concealed carry applicants in a more efficient manner.”

The attorney general’s Concealed Carry Licensing Unit received 24,181 applications in 2013, the most applications received in a year since the program began in 2006. The previous record for a calendar year was 15,707 applications received in 2012.

More information about the concealed carry licensing program is available at www.ag.ks.gov.