Drug Task Force Investigator

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 2, Ozark County will use its grant in the amount of $127,850 to hire an Ozark County Sheriff's Department Drug Task Force Investigator and to purchase a surveillance vehicle to assist in investigating drug-related crimes in rural areas of the county. The Investigator will be responsible for all record keeping necessary for drug investigations as well as maintaining the Sheriff's website drug hotline, conducting investigations with informants and sources, and enhancing and expanding the Missouri Sheriffs Meth-Amphetamine Relief Team (MOSMART) program. The MOSMART Program was a federally funded program started by Senator Kit Bond in 2002 to help fight Missouri's illegal methamphetamine trade. The new laws in Missouri allow the purchase of Sudafed (main meth ingredient) from a pharmacy with only having to provide a driver's license information. None of the pharmacies are coordinated; therefore, meth producers and users are going from pharmacy to pharmacy to increase their supply of the over-the-counter drug. The new Investigator will be responsible for checking local pharmacies' records and coordinating with other area pharmacies to locate suspects and person(s) who are purchasing increased amounts of the product. The MOSMART program is vital in eliminating drug-related crimes in the rural areas of the county.

CA/CF