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Escambia, Santa Rosa Join Federal Program To Reduce Drug Trafficking
January 17, 2016
Escambia and Santa Rosa counties have joined a federal program designed to reduce drug trafficking.
Both counties have been added as members of the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. The Gulf Coast HIDTA, which includes counties and parishes in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi, is one of 28 nationwide drug enforcement initiatives aimed at reducing violent crime and drug trafficking.
In 2014, law enforcement agencies in Northwest Florida began the application process to become a member of the Gulf Coast HIDTA due to drug trafficking routes running through Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties via Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 98. A threat assessment conducted as part of this request confirmed that not only do many ongoing investigations in Gulf Coast HIDTA counties have a connection to the Pensacola area, but numerous Escambia and Santa Rosa County investigations also have ties to other agencies that are part of the Gulf Coast HIDTA. Additionally, Escambia County has experienced drug-related shootings, and arrests in those violent incidents frequently are linked to the local illicit drug market.
The following coalition of federal, state, and local Northwest Florida law enforcement agencies petitioned the Office of National Drug Control Policy to designate Escambia and Santa County as part of the Gulf Coast HIDTA:
- United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
- Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office
- Pensacola Police Department
- Gulf Breeze Police Department
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement
- State Attorney’s Office, First Judicial Circuit
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Florida Office of the Attorney General
- Florida Highway Patrol
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Internal Revenue Service
“Due to collaboration and hard work of our law enforcement partners, Northwest Florida will receive additional resources and support in addressing drug-related crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova. “The enhanced communication between the local agencies in our district with the other HIDTA initiatives across the nation will also better enable law enforcement personnel to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that serve as
the source and supply of dangerous drugs into the community.”
“The DEA Miami Field Division is happy to have Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties join the HIDTA program,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright. “Their inclusion will greatly contribute to the HIDTA mission of combatting drug trafficking in the Gulf Coast area.”
“Due to recent changes at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local DEA office, we will be joining the Gulf Coast HIDTA. We are encouraged that positive changes are on the horizon,” said Sheriff David Morgan of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Comments
16 Responses to “Escambia, Santa Rosa Join Federal Program To Reduce Drug Trafficking”
REGARDING:
“Well, try as they may; people are going to do, what they want to do”
True.
But it is possible to change people’s wants.
Every effective tool should be considered.
Every ineffective tool should be abandoned.
David for reality, it’s all we got
To hmm
One of the issues with your scenario is that the drug addict has to want detox and/or rehab. You can arrest them and they can go to rehab instead of jail but again if it’s a forced rehab the likelihood of them relapsing after they get out of jail is great. If they wanted to be clean they wouldn’t have started doing drugs in the first place.
I’m a paramedic and have run on a lot of drug addicts. If death or living the life they live in doesn’t persuade them from doing drugs then they sure aren’t willingly going to go to rehab.
To Hmmmmm:
The chances of doing all that is as good as a flat income tax rate for all without exemptions.
Will not happen because there are multi billion dollar industries behind both issues dependent on leaving things as they are.
Well, try as they may; people are going to do, what they want to do. Remember the years of prohibition; people created moonshine & outran the cops. Maybe, you need to nip things in the bud with that $$, by incorporating things like free rehab & medical detox @ low cost. That way, with no demand, there will be no need for supply. Just saying.
Just another federalize action in the so called name of protecting. What location in the USA doesn’t have a connection to drugs? My question is didn’t they have all these available pieces before and how does this really help the taxpayer? My guess is not at all. The forfeiture law says it all about how much freedom we have given to police when they can “suspect” wrongdoing and assume all the while stealing a non convicted person money and/or possessions. We have just lost all common sense .
I just wonder how much the Asset Forfeiture aspect convinced ECSO & SRSO to join this task force in order to get their share of forfeited assets ??
A process where it is assumed that anything of high value in your possession was obtained via drug sales. And you have to spend thousands of dollars to get your assets back even if you are not found guilty of anything.
Re: sheriff Morgan changing tactics
It’s true that Morgan pulled Ecso from the task force and is now going back. It’s true that tac went away and is coming back. There are many other things that could easily be labeled as “inconsistent” or “waffling” is if it were a bad thing. The fact is, priorities in law enforcement change over eight years that he has been the sheriff. Stuff that was needed a few years ago may not be needed now, and vice versa. Crime trends change. Budgets change. As a result, certain programs get killed or brought back. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong with the original decision. It just means that we have to evolve in our tactics and strategies to meet the current crime trends.
It is an election year so Morgan wants to make the people of Escambia County think he cares about drugs and crime in our area. He didn’t want the TAC unit because they wouldn’t keep him in the loop. Incase you didn’t notice Morgan loves his press conferences. Without the information he couldn’t do either.
Morgan has been telling us all along that crime is down. Any intelligent person who watches the news knows better. You are absolutely right. The burglaries,home invasions and killings can be attributed to drug use in Escambia County. Hopefully this year is the year the citizens of Escambia County have had enough “humdingers” and enough of him patting himself on the back for a job well done.
Hope it helps to cut off the flow. Build a Wall…
David Morgan doesn’t play well with others and takes his toys and leaves when he doesn’t get his way. This was over Morgan not being the one standing in front of the camera and getting the press that he covets at all costs. Morgan also doesn’t like it when the media publishes articles that aren’t positive to his administration. An unqualified and inept Sheriff.
I had heard that Esc Co sheriff Mr. Morgan did not want federal assistance here.
Why would he change his mind on this?
We all know that drugs are the force behind the murders, robberies, breaking into homes and vehicles but Mr. Morgan seems unable to do much.
According to Morgan violent crimes are down in Escambia County. What a joke. Perhaps this initiative will help rid our communities of the drug dealing vermin.
I believe that there was an article posted here that said the TAC unit was a go again at ECSO. Is this the same program?
Lip service at best, in the case of ECSO. They had a TAC unit that specialized in just that, but the Sheriff apparently didn’t see the value in it…
I’m glad to see this happening. Drug trafficking has been a problem here for many years, but in the past few it seems like violent crime has become a weekly occurrence especially in the Cantonment to Century Hwy 29 corridor.
So this inclusion makes for better inter-agency cooperation and/or resources in the war on drugs?