KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Department of Justice‘s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced nearly $42 million in funding to support state-level law enforcement agencies in combating the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and prescription opioids.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) will receive $3,133,216 million in funding to support investigations into the trafficking of heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil and the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids.
“I am proud to announce the 2020 COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP) and the Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) Program awards to the TBI," said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “Our nation continues to face the constant daily threat of substance abuse and addiction in our communities. Combatting this epidemic is among the Administration’s top domestic priorities. This new funding will allow the TBI to continue to provide coordination and training and to maintain the critical relationships with our law enforcement partners and the communities they serve."
“The TBI/Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force has been a driving force in Tennessee’s efforts to combat meth and heroin abuse," said U. S. Attorney Don Cochran of the Middle District of Tennessee. “As dangerous substances like fentanyl continue to cause alarming overdoses and deaths in our communities, these additional funds will allow the task force to increase prevention and enforcement efforts at a most critical time."
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The Department of Justice is committed to providing meaningful resources to our state and local law enforcement partners, and this announcement of crucial public safety grant funding from the COPS Office will allow TBI to focus on the priority areas of heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine trafficking that continues to destroy lives and contribute to our violent crime rates. The TBI is an outstanding partner with our office in the fight against dangerous drug distribution, and we look forward to working with them as they put these new tools and resources to use."
“The scourge of opioid and methamphetamine use continues to take a devastating toll on our nation’s communities," said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “By providing these resources to law enforcement to help combat the further spread, the COPS Office is demonstrating our commitment to this Administration’s priority of reducing drug use and protecting our citizens from this public health and safety crisis."
“One of our top priorities is addressing the drug epidemic impacting families across the state," said TBI Director David Rausch. “This funding will go a long way in helping us track down those distributing dangerous drugs in our communities. We are grateful to the Department of Justice and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services for their continued support and investment in TBI."
Drug overdose deaths and opioid-involved deaths continue to increase in the United States. Deaths from drug overdoses are up among both men and women of all races and adults of nearly all ages with more than three out of five drug overdose deaths involving an opioid. More than 130 people die every day in the United States after overdosing on opioids, while methamphetamine, the drug that contributes most to violent crime, continues to be one of the most commonly misused stimulant drugs in the world.
The COPS Office is awarding more than $29.7 million in grant funding to 14 state law enforcement agency task forces through the Anti-Heroin Task Force Program (AHTF). AHTF provides three years of funding directly to state-level law enforcement agencies with multi-jurisdictional reach and interdisciplinary team (e.g., task force) structures, in states with high per capita rates of primary treatment admissions for heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and other opioids. This funding will support the location or investigation of illicit activities through statewide collaboration related to the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, or the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids.
Through the COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP), the COPS Office is also awarding $12 million to 12 state law enforcement agencies. These state agencies have demonstrated numerous seizures of precursor chemicals, finished methamphetamine, laboratories, and laboratory dump seizures. State agencies are being awarded three years of funding through CAMP to support the location or investigation of illicit activities related to the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine, including precursor diversion, laboratories, or methamphetamine trafficking.
The AHTF and CAMP funding has a tremendous impact on state investigative and seizure work. During the five month period between October 2019 and February 2020, current AHTF grantees reported the seizure of over $4 million in cash and 1,213 firearms. Similarly, for CAMP, grantees reported seizures of more than $7 million in cash and 1,577 firearms.
The complete list of Anti-Heroin Task Force Program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here.
The complete list of COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here.
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 135,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
