Gov. Kay Ivey recently awarded $1.6 million to the state’s seven regional drug task forces and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Each agency received $200,000.
“Illegal drugs are menaces that destroy lives, ruin families and lead to rampant crime,”Ivey said in a written statement. “I commend these law enforcement officers for working to get this scourge off our streets and make our communities and neighborhoods safer.”
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Justice and will be allocated to cover overtime and operational and equipment expenses.
Established in 2018, task forces’ jurisdictions range from eight to twelve counties. Although each task force has set domains, overlap often occurs in cases with increased priority.
In partnership with federal and state law enforcement, the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force made 653 drug-related arrests in 1,121 drug-related cases in 2022. The state obtained more than $940,000 in drug-related currency, close to 715,000 grams of marijuana, over 183,000 grams of methamphetamine, 46,000 grams of cocaine/crack and 38,734 grams of heroin.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs oversees the grants.
“(The department) joins with Gov. Ivey in lauding these task forces and officers who are committed to taking drugs off the streets and arresting those who dare to profit from the tragedies they create,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.