Committee accepts $254,700 HIDTA grant to support drug-trafficking investigations
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Summary
The Law and Judiciary Committee accepted a fifth-year High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) grant of $254,700 and heard 2024 results from the sheriff's Special Investigations Group, including major seizures and arrests.
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.