Drug Elimination Team (DET)

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) allows states, tribes, and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own local needs and conditions. Grant funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice for any one or more of the following purpose areas: 1) law enforcement programs; 2) prosecution and court programs; 3) prevention and education programs; 4) corrections and community corrections programs; 5) drug treatment programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

With its $214,693 in Fiscal Year 2008 Local JAG funds, the city and county of San Francisco will continue the multidisciplinary partnership represented by the Drug Elimination Team (DET). The DET was designed to assess trends in drug-related crime throughout the City and develop and implement integrated and coordinated strategies to address specific, well-defined crime-related problems.

Specifically, grant funds will be used to support the following personnel and activities:

1) The San Francisco Mayor's Office of Community Investment (MOCI) will continue to supervise the DET and convene partners to address implementation issues. MOCI will also coordinate partner convening for the City's Operation Ceasefire Program and will streamline coordination between both projects. Operation Ceasefire was developed by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat the increase of gang violence related to drug dealing and other criminal activity.

2) The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) will employ a series of Rotating Narcotic Enforcement Teams (R-NET) to conduct a variety of operations to address street-level dealing, violence and gang activity. The R-NET program is a targeted enforcement program under the direction of the SFPD Narcotics Division with support from district station personnel. The program involves a series of one-day intensified "buy-bust" operations in a concentrated area. 3) The San Francisco District Attorney will employ one principal attorney, directed by the Head Attorney for Narcotics, and one full-time attorney to work on the DET.

4) The San Francisco Adult Probation Department will dedicate one probation officer to handle cases resulting from the R-NET operations and Operation Ceasefire activities. This officer will work closely with the SFPD and District Attorney to encourage motions to revoke probationers to cooperate with investigators in exchange for immediate entry into treatment and the opportunity to avoid prosecution. Additionally, the probation officer will closely monitor compliance with the terms of probation by conducting field and home visits, actively enforcing stay away orders, conducting warrantless searches, and utilizing licensed community-based treatment services.

5) The San Francisco Sheriff's Department will dedicate one sheriff's cadet to the DET, who will be responsible for tracking R-NET arrestees reported by the SFPD in custody. The cadet will also ensure that R-NET arrestees receive information about in-jail substance abuse counseling services and post-release services.

NCA/NCF