ACCNET Narcotics Officer Position Request

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) solicits applications for initiatives which assist law enforcement in rural states and rural areas. The program helps rural states and rural areas to prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs.

The Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs Program, administered by BJA, helps rural states and rural areas prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs. In addition, priority consideration will be given to local law enforcement agencies in rural areas where the unit of local government is not eligible to receive a direct allocation from the Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program or received a direct allocation that was $50,000 or less. Applicants were invited to submit a proposal under any one of the following categories to: 1) combat rural crime; 2) improve rural law enforcement investigations; 3) enhance rural detention and jail operations; 4) facilitate rural justice information sharing; or 5) develop a national training and technical assistance program.

Under Category 1, Amador County, along with the Amador County Sheriff's Office (ACSO), will use its award to combat crime and drugs in the county. Grant funds will maintain two narcotics officers assigned to the Amador County Combined Narcotic Enforcement Team (ACCNET). The county, with a population of approximately 38,238, faces serious issues in methamphetamine and precursor manufacturing, trafficking, sales, and use, and is located off of two known corridors for trafficking drugs in California. ACCNET's focus is on the identification, interruption, and interdiction of all levels of methamphetamine abuse, trafficking, and manufacture in the county, and it conducts surveillance and intelligence investigations within the drug culture, providing this information to the agencies in the county to encourage proactive enforcement actions. ACCNET also works with the Amador County Child Protective Services by establishing a Drug Endangered Children's response protocol. Grant funds will also allow ACSO to pay the salaries and benefits for the two narcotics officers assigned to ACCNET for two years. In addition, funds will pay for travel and associated costs for attending BJA-sponsored training.

CA/CF