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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIII(D) Approval And Authorization For Use Of Sworn Personnel To Staff One Position In High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Partnership Task Force Agenda 3-17-98 Item III D yam ,~ Ocoee Police Department ()COEE Robert E. Mark 175 N. Bluford Avenue yyOLICE Chief of Police Ocoee, Florida 34761 Phone (407) 656-1313i Fax (407) 656-0218 a, Eraamm //( TO: Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners FROM: Robert E. Mark, Chief of Police `� DATE: March 12, 1998 SUBJECT : USE OF PERSONNEL TO STAFF ONE POSITION IN HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREA PARTNERSHIP TASK FORCE STAFF REPORT ISSUE Should the Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners authorize the use of one sworn person for a position to be used in the HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Partnership Task force. BACKGROUND In 1997 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies from Central Florida met to discuss the possibility of having a HIDTA designated for the Central Florida area to include Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Osceola, Orange, Seminole and Volusia Counties . The HIDTA designation would be known as the "I-4 Corridor" which would stretch from the west coast of Florida to the east coast of Florida. The major consensus of the preliminary meetings was that several threat assessments needed to be addressed as they related to the geographical make-up of the I-4 corridor. The consensus was that the Pinellas, Hillsborough and Polk county area' s major threat was methamphetamine, the Orange, Osceola, and Seminole county area' s major threat was heroin, and Volusia county area' s major threat was marijuana as it related to the "Tex-Mex" organizations . In order to address the different threats, the creation of an east and west multi-agency task force is a must . These two task forces would be comprised and organized from members of current local task forces and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies . The west task force would consist of agencies from the Pinellas, 4(7777777 s 4A—' ref 0600 " E PO LIC .01 L �_ Imam Staff Report/HIDTA March 12, 1998 Page 2 Hillsborough, and Polk county areas and the east task force would consist of agencies from the Osceola, Orange Seminole, and Volusia county areas . DISCUSSION The HIDTA Task Force will be composed of members from the U. S . Customs, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Immigration and Naturalization Service, a prosecutor from the Office of the United States Attorney, Middle District of Florida, United States Marshal Service, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Volusia, Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Pinellas and Hillsborough County Sheriffs Offices, Winter Park Police Department, Kissimmee Police Department, Maitland Police Department, Orlando Police Department, and Eatonville Police Department . The task force would be split into east and west . The west task force would be responsible for the investigation, prosecution, and ultimate dismantling of the methamphetamine organizations operating in the Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Polk county areas . The east task force would be responsible for the investigation, prosecution, and ultimate dismantling of the heroin organizations operating in the Osceola, Orange, Seminole, and Volusia county areas . The unit is a DEA led, fully collocated federal, state, and local law enforcement task force, conducting all heroin investigations in the Central Florida area ranging from street level heroin sales to the illegal importation of heroin. In addition, this unit has a financial group that will conduct related money laundering investigations and a fugitive group who will target drug and violent crime fugitives . The initiative was created to use the resources of the law enforcement agencies in Central Florida area by pooling intelligence information on heroin traffickers from area law enforcement agencies and then mount a coordinated, focused attack aimed at disrupting and dismantling their organizations . All assets seized during any investigation will be distributed amongst participating agencies . The Ocoee Police Department would like to assist in eradicating the drug problem within our communities. We feel that at this time we can afford to assist in this venture in contributing one police officer to this task force. STAFF REPORT/HIDTA March 12, 1998 Page 3 RECOMMENDATION It is respectfully recommended that the Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners approve this request to use one sworn member of our agency to staff a position in the HIDTA Partnership Task Force.