SCHUMER ANNOUNCES, AFTER EXTENSIVE ADVOCACY, “HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREA” DESIGNATION FOR OSWEGO COUNTY, WITH CRIME FIGHTING RESOURCES COMING TO AREA—HIDTA DESIGNATION BRINGS ADDITIONAL AID TO FIGHT OPIOID SCOURGE & HELP DISRUPT TRAFFICKING
Oswego County Has Experienced A Serious Spike In Drug Trafficking & Overdose Deaths In Recent Years
After A Meeting With Office Of National Drug Control Policy Top Brass And Numerous Letters Of Support, Schumer Today Reveals That Agency Has Heeded His Request, Designated Oswego County A “High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area”
Schumer: Sorely-Needed Designation Will Give Boots On The Ground Tools Needed To Battle CNY Opioid Scourge
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced, following his relentless advocacy, that the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has granted Oswego County’s request to be designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Schumer explained that in recent years, Oswego County has experienced a spike in drug trafficking and overdose deaths, negatively affecting the health and well-being of residents. To address this threat to public safety, Schumer worked with Oswego County law enforcement officials as they pursued the HIDTA designation. Schumer then wrote to the ONDCP on numerous occasions and met with Director of the ONDCP, James Carroll, to push for the designation. Schumer explained the HIDTA designation would improve coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, in addition to providing Oswego County with the equipment, technology, and additional resources to tackle the challenges of the opioid epidemic.
“Like so many communities in Upstate New York, Oswego County has been devastated by the scourge of drug trafficking and opioids. While local law enforcement has been working diligently to combat the opioid epidemic on the ground, they need more federal support to curb this crisis,” said Senator Schumer. “Fortunately, this HIDTA designation, which I’ve been proud to fight for tooth and nail, will provide Oswego County law enforcement with additional resources, manpower and intelligence to thwart Central New York drug traffickers. We must do everything we can to stop drug traffickers from wreaking more havoc to public health and well-being across New York State, and this designation will help do just that.”
The petition for Oswego County to be designated a HITDA was made by a coalition of local law enforcement agencies: the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, Oswego City Police Department, Oswego County Sheriff’s Department, the County Drug Task Force, and SUNY Oswego Police.
The HIDTA program funds intelligence-sharing initiatives, drug use prevention and drug treatment initiatives, as well as general support for programs that provide assistance to law enforcement beyond their normal scope of duty. The New York/New Jersey HIDTA is one of 28 HIDTAs nationwide, which include approximately 16 percent of all counties in the United States and 60 percent of the U.S. population. There are currently 25 counties in New York that are part of the NY/NJ HIDTA, and Oswego County will now become the 26th. Each HIDTA assesses the drug trafficking threat in its defined area for the upcoming year, develops a strategy to address that threat, designs initiatives to implement the strategy, proposes funding needed to carry out the initiatives, and prepares an annual report describing its performance the previous year.
Schumer said that Oswego County has a population of 122,000 and that its geographical location in Upstate New York makes it an appealing and convenient location for drug traffickers. Additionally, Schumer explained that recently, the county has been ravaged by opioids, especially dangerous drugs like fentanyl-laced heroin, which have negatively impacted Oswego’s college students and communities, and yielded an elevated rate of overdoses. Schumer praised Oswego County and local law enforcement for their commitment and effort to fight the ongoing drug trafficking scourge in the area but added that the lack of funding and resources has made their job significantly more challenging. Schumer said that, specifically, the HIDTA designation for Oswego County will give local law enforcement the ability to purchase key equipment, such as GPS units, investigation equipment, and TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzers. According to Schumer, these devices would both help protect officers, and help increase their ability to combat drug trafficking at the ground level.
Under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and the ONDCP Reauthorization Act of 2006, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is authorized to declare areas that exhibit serious drug trafficking problems as HIDTAs if local law enforcement groups petition for the designation. The purpose of HIDTA is to reduce drug trafficking and production in the United States. The program’s goal is to facilitate cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; to share information and implement coordinated enforcement activities; to enhance intelligence sharing among law enforcement agencies as well as public health officials; to facilitate the design of effective enforcement strategies; and to support coordinated law enforcement strategies that make the most of available resources to reduce the supply of illegal drugs in the U.S.
Schumer said that treatment is also an important part of the solution to the opioid epidemic, and that Oswego County’s HIDTA designation will help strengthen treatment access by facilitating critical partnerships between public health agencies. ONDCP and HIDTA grant funds are being used across the country for local governments and public health officials to improve overdose reporting so that they can mobilize their public health response, including the purchase of and education on Naloxone kits, in order to mitigate the number of overdoses and prevent deaths. Designating Oswego as a HIDTA county will help provide additional support for present programs already in place.
Copies of Schumer’s letters to the ONDCP appear below.
Dear Director Carroll:
I am pleased to write in support of the application submitted by Oswego County to be designated a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). This designation would enable Oswego County and its crime-fighting departments to receive funding to fight a recent increase in drug trafficking that has greatly affected the health of the county.
Oswego County, which has a population of approximately 122,000, is a central geographical location in New York that is convenient for traffickers. In recent years, investigations have found large amounts of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and opioids in the county. Such a significant drug presence has negatively affected Oswego’s college students and community at large, causing increasing numbers of overdoses. The community is employing a comprehensive approach to addressing this problem, but law enforcement agencies face budget cuts that make it harder for them to carry out the community’s plans.
With funding, law enforcement would be more able to fight drug trafficking in their county. They could purchase key equipment, such as GPS units, investigation equipment, and TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzers. These devices would ensure officers’ safety and make them more effective in this critical area. I applaud Oswego County for its efforts to combat drug trafficking, and sincerely hope the application meets with your approval.
Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my Grants Coordinator in my Washington, DC office at 202-224-6542.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
Dear Director Carroll:
I am pleased to write in support of the application submitted by Oswego County to be designated a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). As we spoke about last summer, this designation would enable Oswego County and its crime-fighting departments to receive funding to fight a recent increase in drug trafficking that has greatly affected the health of the county.
Oswego County, which has a population of approximately 122,000, is a central geographical location in New York that is convenient for traffickers. In recent years, investigations have found large amounts of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and opioids in the county. Such a significant drug presence has negatively affected Oswego’s college students and community at large, causing increasing numbers of overdoses. The community is employing a comprehensive approach to addressing this problem, but law enforcement agencies face budget cuts that make it harder for them to carry out the community’s plans.
With funding, law enforcement would be more able to fight drug trafficking in their county. They could purchase key equipment, such as GPS units, investigation equipment, and TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzers. These devices would ensure officers’ safety and make them more effective in this critical area. I applaud Oswego County for its strong application and efforts to combat drug trafficking. I sincerely hope the application meets with your approval.
Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my Grants Coordinator in my Washington, DC office at 202-224-6542.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
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