North Central Kentucky task force outlines plan to pool narcotics investigations across six counties

Presenters told the Henry County Fiscal Court on Feb. 13 that a proposed North Central Kentucky Narcotics Task Force would combine investigators from multiple counties, create a 12‑member board of directors, and pursue funding through state grants and asset forfeiture to support a full‑time narcotics unit.

The proposal described a board with 12 director slots that would include common‑law attorneys (for federal-level prosecutions), county attorneys (for misdemeanor prosecutions), judge executives, and the chief law‑enforcement officer for each participating county. The presenters said participating counties committed to the task force include Henry, Carroll, Trimble and Old (as read in the presentation), with additional outreach to Franklin and Scott counties.

Presenters said primary funding sources would be state grant programs and asset forfeiture proceeds. They described a statewide grants pool that funded narcotics task forces in fiscal years 2023–24 at about $2.18 million and at about $1.7 million in 2024–25; the presenters said grant availability varies year to year. They also said Kentucky law permits seized assets to be forfeited and that about 85% of forfeited monetary proceeds typically accrue to the participating task force, with smaller shares going to prosecutors and other entities.

Presenters told the court the task force would investigate overdose deaths and document investigations for prosecutors; they cited state legal mechanisms that allow prosecutors to pursue higher charges in certain overdose cases when evidence links a dealer’s conduct to a fatality. The presentation identified administrative duties for a unit commander and described responsibilities such as accounting for seized assets, handling laboratory submissions, coordinating with state law enforcement, and drafting policies and standard operating procedures.

Officials at the meeting raised questions about prosecution and jail costs. Presenters said prosecutors have been engaged in planning and that judges and prosecutors are aware that a task force is being formed; presenters acknowledged that increased arrests could raise local jail costs and asked participating jurisdictions to consider fiscal impacts.

The presenters invited county officials and local law enforcement to a follow‑up meeting Friday at 10 a.m. at the community center in Campbellsburg to discuss formation details and next steps.

No formal fiscal court vote was recorded on forming the task force during the meeting; presenters said some counties had already approved participation in related votes elsewhere.