(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Ohio
Governor Mike DeWine today announced over $3.6 million in funding
for 41 local law enforcement agencies to help their drug task forces
enforce the state’s drug laws and combat illegal drug activity.
OCJS Grant List
Grants from the 2022 Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Fund will support
drug task forces that impact 67 counties on issues of drug
trafficking, pharmaceutical diversion, and other organized criminal
activity associated with the drug trade. The program, which is
administered through the Office of Criminal Justice Services, is
also intended to help local entities enhance the safety of Ohioans
through multi-jurisdictional task forces.
“Ohio’s drug task forces play an absolutely critical role in
removing drugs from the streets and holding drug traffickers
accountable,” said Governor DeWine. “These grants are flexible so
drug task force commanders can tailor their plans to the greatest
benefit for their local communities.”
Funds can be used by agencies to investigate drug trafficking
organizations and disrupt the drug supply through intelligence
gathering, information sharing, and multi-agency coordination.
Grants can also be used to support local work to help drug overdose
victims and their families through education, support, and treatment
options.
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MORE: List of Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Awards
The Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Fund is part of the Drug
Interdiction, Disruption, and Reduction Plan that is funded through
Ohio's operating budget.
Today's grants are in addition to several other initiatives
developed under Governor DeWine to address the issues of drug
trafficking and substance use disorder. Immediately after taking
office in 2019, Governor DeWine signed an executive order creating
the RecoveryOhio initiative to support aggressive measures to combat
the opiate epidemic by investing in the health and well-being of
Ohio citizens. Through the RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund, local
drug task forces have received millions to intercept illegal drugs
and enhance their role in substance use awareness, prevention, and
recovery. RecoveryOhio has also worked to expand access to
specialized court dockets to give judges flexibility to place
defendants with mental health or substance use disorders into
treatment rather than sentencing them to jail.
Governor DeWine also created the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center
in 2019 to support local law enforcement agencies in
intelligence-focused drug trafficking investigations and secured
funding for the development of several Major Drug Interdiction Task
Forces that target trans-national drug trafficking cartels. The new
Ohio Crime Lab Efficiency Program that Governor DeWine launched last
month will also support local crime laboratories to help them
efficiently analyze drugs associated with criminal investigations.
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