Council authorizes Police Department to accept HIDTA funds to support violent-crime and drug investigations

The Saint Paul City Council approved a resolution authorizing the Police Department to accept funds from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, execute the grant agreement with the Office of National Drug Control Policy and amend the 2025 grant fund budget.

Assistant G. Ford, appearing for the Police Department, told councilors that HIDTA is a federal funding program administered by the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy and is not itself a standalone agency. Ford said Minnesota became a HIDTA state in 2016 and described several uses of HIDTA funds in Saint Paul, including overtime, drug take-backs, overdose prevention and special investigations that intersect with gun and international criminal activity.

Ford cited a prior case investigated by the city's gang unit involving catalytic converters that had an associated drug and gun nexus; he said HIDTA funds were used for overtime and to acquire investigative resources in that case. He also said the department used HIDTA funding to acquire a gun dog and to support the city's "violent crime initiative," which the department uses to target cases where there is both a drugs and gun nexus.

Ford told the council HIDTA funding supports a range of activities and can be used for overtime, investigative equipment and community prevention programs. The public hearing on this grant had been held previously; the council closed the hearing and approved the resolution by voice vote, 5 in favor and none opposed.

Ending: The resolution authorizes the Police Department to accept and spend HIDTA funds under the terms of the grant agreement; the department and Office of Financial Services will reflect the award in the grant fund budget.