The Law and Judiciary Committee voted to accept and appropriate a $254,700 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy on Aug. 5.

Sheriff's Office presenters described the HIDTA-funded Special Investigations Group (SIG) as a multiagency team. Lieutenant Novak, who oversees the unit, summarized 2024 activity: the SIG opened 156 criminal investigations; those investigations led to the arrest of 80 traffickers (drug, gun and human-trafficking allegations); the team seized narcotics with an estimated street value of about $24,000,000; and personnel seized over 130 illegal firearms and 58 machine-gun conversion devices. Lieutenant Novak also said SIG recovered and assisted 11 victims of human trafficking during the reported period.

Committee members offered no substantive objections. The committee recorded a voice vote of “ayes” with no opposition and approved the appropriation.

Why it matters: HIDTA grants fund coordinated, multijurisdictional enforcement and intelligence efforts aimed at disrupting large-scale drug trafficking and related violent crime. The committee action provides local matching and operating resources for the county's participation in the HIDTA program.

What’s next: The sheriff's office will use the funds to support SIG operations consistent with HIDTA grant terms and report results in routine departmental updates.