New Hampshire Drug Task Force

According to the New Hampshire Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), there were 436 confirmed drug deaths in New Hampshire in 2021.  That is over one death a day in the State attributed to illicit drugs.  It was to address this issue that the Attorney General’s Drug Task Force (Drug Task Force) was created.   This Multi-jurisdictional Drug Task Force has historically been the largest single drug enforcement effort in New Hampshire and is still a significant factor in addressing illicit substances.  It operates throughout the state and strives to provide street level support to local law enforcement agencies.

    Currently there are four regional teams coordinated and supported by a central administrative operation out of the New Hampshire Department of Justice.  Each team consists of a team leader and a number of undercover operatives.  These operatives are select members of state, county, and local law enforcement officers, who conduct controlled drug investigations in support of local law enforcement agencies.

    This funding will be directed towards these undercover officers, increasing allocations to participating jurisdictions.  This additional funding will help off-set the cost of replacing the officer at their respective law enforcement agency and allowing these agencies to fund a police officer for the Drug Task Force at a competitive level, thereby, assisting with limiting the turnover in these vital positions.

    In addition, funding will be directed towards the Attorney General’s Criminal Justice Bureau for the purpose of assisting the Drug Task Force prosecution unit, homicide unit and other criminal units in the Department with cases relating to the sale and use of illicit drugs.

    Furthermore, funding for training will be allocated to allow the undercover law enforcement officers to remain up-to-date on new and trending drugs, and any new tactical training being offered.

    Lastly, equipment will be purchased for the Drug Task Force to include GPS trackers, binoculars, audio and video surveillance connections, USB Flash Drive Audio Recorders, Cellebrite subscription, and a portable drug test analyzer with lab-standard accuracy, helping officials identify seized substances.

    The State Administrative Agency for this funding is the New Hampshire Department of Justice, who is the recipient of a majority of the federal grant programs administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs for the State.

    The purpose of the Drug Task Force in concert with the Criminal Investigations Bureau continues to be to support local drug enforcement, using skills and capabilities not always present in smaller police departments.