South Coast Interageny Narcotics Team

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, Coos County, along with the Coos County Sheriff's Office, will use its grant to pay costs associated with the South Coast Interagency Narcotics Team (SCINT). SCINT is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics team serving the citizens of the southwest region of the Oregon coast. Oregon has been plagued with outdoor marijuana cultivation by Hispanic drug trafficking organizations and Mexican drug cartels. During 2007, the SCINT team was involved in the seizure of over of 14,000 marijuana plants and processed three clandestine methamphetamine labs. Grant funds will allow SCINT to implement more effective investigative strategies to reduce illegal narcotics in Coos County and focus on mid- to high-level Mexican drug cartels and Hispanic drug trafficking organizations for prosecution at the state and federal level.

Funds will allow SCINT to immediately hire, train, and pay salary costs for three new detectives and one administrative employee to work solely on narcotics and narcotics-related crimes. The Sheriff's Office will purchase three used vehicles for use by SCINT narcotics detectives. Funds will also purchase a CamoCam IV hybrid surveillance system, which will be used to digitally record activity on forest land used for marijuana growth, illegal dumping sites, metal thefts, and property damage. The award will purchase intangible office supplies and pay for basic surveillance training for newly hired detectives. Finally, the funds will pay travel costs for SCINT detectives to attend the annual Oregon Narcotics Enforcement Association Conference and two mandatory DOJ-sponsored trainings.

CA/CF