District Attorney Brian Gallagher wins title changes and creates drug task force coordinator funded by forfeiture and AG grant

District Attorney Brian Gallagher asked the Lackawanna County Salary Board to approve several retitles and a new operational leadership post for the county Drug Task Force, arguing the changes reflect the growing importance of digital evidence and the task force’s multi-agency work.

Gallagher described converting an assistant district attorney role into a Criminal Intelligence Data Analyst/Investigative Data Analyst to handle cell-phone extractions, geolocation data, social-media evidence and other digital investigative material. “Our investigations are increasingly driven by data, digital evidence, intelligence gathering, analytical coordination,” Gallagher said, asking the board to formally recognize those responsibilities in a new title.

Separately, the board approved establishing a Drug Task Force Coordinator position with pay set at 6% above the highest detective base salary as defined in the collective-bargaining agreement. Gallagher said the task force includes more than 40 law-enforcement members from municipal, county, state and federal agencies and that the coordinator would oversee confidential-informant protocols, surveillance operations, evidence accountability and interagency coordination.

Gallagher told the board the coordinator salary will be funded entirely from the attorney general’s drug-enforcement program and asset forfeiture funds generated by narcotics operations, “not through the county general fund.” A board member confirmed the attorney general’s office approved the position. Commissioners praised the DA’s office for its multiagency coordination and investigative work.

All of the DA office retitles and the task-force coordinator motion were approved by the salary board by voice vote.