Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
Uniform Program Operations State Funded Multijurisdictional
Drug and Crime Task Forces
1.
Purpose
The goal of the State Funded Drug Task Force is to
significantly reduce drug related crimes throughout the state of Arkansas. This
is done through aggressive enforcement of state laws that outline the rules and
penalties associated with the possession, manufacturing, importation, and
distribution of illicit drugs and dangerous substances.
2.
Objectives
The overall objectives of the State Funded Drug Task Force
are:
A. To identify and arrest
individual drug offenders, or those offenders within an organized criminal
group, and to prosecute these offenders with special emphasis placed on
offenses that involve the manufacturing, importation, and distribution of
illicit drugs.
B. To promote a
higher level of cooperation among the Task Force agencies located within a
judicial district (as well as with other Task Forces statewide); and to promote
more direct involvement with non-participating law enforcement organizations at
all levels of government.
C. To
work together in a more collaborative way, in an information sharing effort,
with an emphasis on effectively identifying and greatly reducing drug
distribution markets, and in aggressively prosecuting individuals arrested for
being involved in this activity.
D.
To improve the effectiveness of law enforcement as they combat illicit drug
trafficking and improve interdiction efforts. This is done through training
that focuses on:
(1) Up-to-date and relevant
information about drug trafficking protocols.
(2) The importance of sharing information
statewide.
(3) Collaboration
between Drug Task Force members and law enforcement in
general.
E. To support
officer safety through hands-on training that promotes a more effective use of
technology, social media, and information or intelligence sharing. The primary
purpose is to enhance law enforcement communications capabilities on a
statewide basis, and to keep task force personnel up to date on safety issues
and concerns in dealing with drug-related crimes.
3.
Local Match Requirements
State Funded Drug Task Forces will be required to match federal
and state grant funding for its operations. Match can be cash or in-kind. Any
in-kind must be documented in the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The
Local Match requirements will be based on district population and funding match
percentage (amount) will be determined based on the funding source according to
the following tiers:
A. Tier 1 - a
district population based on 30,000-90,000 will require a funding match of
twenty percent (20%).
B. Tier 2 - a
district population based on 91,000-140,000 will require a funding match of
twenty-five percent (25%).
C. Tier
3 - a district population based on 141,000 or greater will require a funding
match of thirty percent (30%).
4.
Drug Task Force Operating
Budgets
A Drug Task Force operating budget, and allowable uses of grant
awards, will be in accordance with Ark. Code Ann. §
12-17-107 as well as any other
federal or state regulations. A funded civilian position, other than the
required fiscal officer position, must be approved by the Office of State Drug
Director.
5.
Organizational Structure
A.
Authorized Official
For the State Funded Drug Task Force, the Authorized Official
is the Elected Prosecuting Attorney or Local Government Highest Elected
Official or appointed designee. The Authorized Official is an authorized
representative of the Grantee (applying organization or agency). The Grantee
assures and provides oversight of the management and compliance of state and
federal grants.
B.
Participating Agencies
Drug Task Forces are required to develop an MOU with all
participating parties, including the Prosecuting Attorney. The MOU must
delineate the roles and responsibilities as well as provide the details for
match for the participating agency.
(1) The Drug Task Force Commander must be
selected and agreed upon by a majority of the participating agencies. This
process must be documented in the minutes and submitted to the Office of State
Drug Director. This process must be followed in selecting any new or future
Commander.
(2) Drug Task Forces are
to have collaborative meetings with their participating agencies at a minimum
every two months. For items requiring task force approval, a quorum must be
present. Meetings must be documented with attendance and minutes which are
forwarded to the Office of State Drug Director for review and
compliance.
C. Required
Personnel
(1) F/T Drug Task Force Commander -
To provide and perform oversight, as well as day-to-day task force operations
and law enforcement activities. Funding for this position can be matched from a
participating agency as long as it meets the requirements and is documented in
the signed MOU. It must be a full time (equivalent to 40 hours/wk)
certified Law Enforcement Officer, selected by the participating
agencies.
(2) F/T Fiscal
Officer - To perform program financial or administrative duties. Funding for
this position can be matched from a participating agency as long as it meets
the requirements and is documented in the signed MOU. It can be a
civilian or law enforcement officer, but it must be full time (equivalent to 40
hours/wk).
D.
Management Structure
(1) The Office of State
Drug Director will be responsible for establishing oversight protocols and
performing program monitoring.
(2)
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration-Intergovernmental
Services (DFA-IGS) will be responsible for the grants' management and
administration of the current funding sources that are listed below in
accordance with any statutory authority or federal regulations:
a. State Drug Crime Enforcement and
Prosecution Grant Fund (DCF) (Ark. Code Ann. §
12-17-102 and
b. Department of Justice Non-Victim
Assistance Grants.
6.
Reporting Requirements
Drug Task Forces are to provide monthly or quarterly
statistical data, and complete other required reporting by State Drug
Director's Office and Department of Finance and Administration
Intergovernmental Services (the administering agency). Reports are to be
completed in a timely manner and forwarded for review and compliance. The
mandated reports and tools are designed to meet any federal or state reporting
requirements.
A. Deconflictions - DTF
Commanders shall ensure all task force operations and targets are entered into
an approved deconfliction system, such as SAFETNet, provided by the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) and/or RISSafe through regional organized
crime information center (ROCIC). These accounts, setup, and training can be
organized by the Office of the State Drug Director. SAFETNet account setup and
training can be organized through the Office of the State Drug
Director.
B. NIBRS - As the Uniform
Crime Reporting (UCR) Program comes to a close (January 1, 2021), the National
Index Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is the preferred method for the reporting
of all DTF activity. Commanders shall take steps necessary to ensure all
appropriate DTF case information is entered into NIBRS. If no participating
agency within the DTF currently uses a NIBRS based system, the DTF shall notify
the Office of the Drug Director to begin the identification process for the
acquisition of a system capable of collecting NIBRS data.
C. FINANCIAL REPORTING - Monthly
Reimbursements must be submitted to Department of Finance and Administration
Intergovernmental Services (the administering agency). The DTF Utilization
Reports shall be reported to Coordinating Council monthly by DFA.
D. ANNUAL LOCAL MATCH REPORT - An annual
match report will be submitted to the State Drug Director to ensure compliance
of the required match. The Annual Match Report will include the following:
match amount, approved categories, expenditure amounts, type of match (In-kind
or Cash), and the source of the match.
E. PROGRAMMATIC REPORTING - To capture Drug
Task Force Performance, monthly and quarterly reports must be submitted to the
State Drug Director's Office and the DFA-IGS. The reports must include the
various metrics listed below to ensure proper outcomes and measures are being
monitored:
(1) Number of organizations
disrupted.
(2) Number of
organizations dismantled.
(3)
Number of drug arrests.
(4) Number
of drug seizures.
(5) Total value
of confiscations of street value of drugs seized in dollar amount.
(6) Number of investigations.
(7) Number of firearms seized with relations
to drug offenses.
(8) Number of
collaborative efforts with other law enforcement agencies.
(9) Number of deconflictions
tracked.
(10) Number of
prescription drugs-Prescription Take Back -collected (pounds).
(11) Number of community engagement, drug,
and opioid overdose prevention, education, and outreach awareness activities
conducted by the task force, and the number of participants in those
events.
(12) Number of trainings
accessed or attended as well as hosted trainings.
7.
Training Compliance and Mandated
Meeting Requirements
For State Funded DTFs, the training topics listed below, as
well as any other identified trainings and law enforcement certified trainings,
are required to be completed by each law enforcement officer paid with grant
funds or in-kind. Additional trainings may be identified by the Council and
federal or grant partners. Trainings can be met through an agency
requirement.
(1) DTF must attend
commander's meetings scheduled by the Office of State Drug Director or other
required meetings identified.
(2)
Bureau of Justice Assistance's Task Force Training Requirement: All law
enforcement officers associated with the DTF must complete this training as
stated, as a Special Condition of JAG.
(3) Use of Force.
(4) De-Escalation of Conflict.
(5) Gender Bias.
(6) Racial Profiling (Bias toward lesbian,
gay, bisexual, other transgendered (LGBT) individuals, or any combination
thereof).
(7) Community engagement
(e.g. opioid, community policing, coalitions).
