The Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) has announced awards to 16 jurisdictions totaling nearly $900,000 from Maryland’s Heroin Coordinator Program, which plays a critical role in multi-jurisdictional criminal investigations by analyzing data that links overdose victims to drug trafficking organizations operating within the state and across state lines.
The awards announced today will help support jurisdictions in hiring a qualified law enforcement professional to serve as a Heroin Coordinator. The coordinators will use the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) system to monitor and track drug investigations, drug seizures, drug arrests, heroin and opioid overdoses, and other drug-related investigative activities.
“To improve our efforts to address the heroin and opioid crisis, we must have a seamless communications system which allows for collaboration and information sharing across multiple law enforcement agencies,” said V. Glenn Fueston, Jr., GOCCP Executive Director. “Funding for this position is key.”
Awards were made to the following entities:
- Allegany/Cumberland Police Department: $56,066
- Anne Arundel County Police Department: $70,800
- Baltimore Police Department: $68,700
- Baltimore County Police Department: $42,608
- Calvert County Sheriff’s Office: $46,975
- Cecil County Sheriff’s Office: $51,504
- Charles County Sheriff’s Office: $50,000
- Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office: $48,700
- Frederick City Police Department: $26,102
- Harford County Sheriff’s Office: $78,646
- Howard County Police Department: $74,257
- Montgomery County Police Department: $60,000
- Talbot County Sheriff’s Office: $44,000
- Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office: $40,662
- Worcester County Board of County Commissioners: $50,615
- University of Baltimore – $87,542
Since the Heroin Coordinator grant program began, more than $1.6 million has been awarded through the program. Many notable achievements have been made possible through this grant, including a recent investigation leading to a Baltimore heroin dealer pleading guilty to drug conspiracy charges that linked 27 overdose victims (9 fatal), the recovery of $405,156 in drug proceeds, and approximately one kilogram of heroin. This year alone, Heroin Coordinators added more than 5,000 drug-related cases to HIDTA for review.
“Governor Hogan has directed our office to use every resource possible to keep Maryland streets safe,” said Fueston. “A big part of that job is tracking crime and drug activity, and we are committed to doing just that.”
