Lake County has been awarded a federal designation which will support its efforts to combat drug trafficking.
The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program is operated under the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
“This is a huge opportunity for the people of Lake County to reduce the effects of drugs in our community,” Lake County State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim said in a news release.
The HIDTA program provides federal support to law enforcement agencies in designated counties with coordination, equipment, technology and enhanced resources to combat drug production and trafficking.
“This designation is a real game-changer for us and it will expand our strategy of aggressively targeting the drug supply that has crippled areas of Lake County, while at the same time working to compassionately reduce demand by stressing education, treatment and harm reduction practices,” Nerheim said.
The funds will aid in the collaboration between the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group and the state’s attorney’s office.
“Being selected as a recipient for a HIDTA grant is a significant accomplishment and the collaboration between the sheriff’s office, state’s attorney’s office, our municipal and federal partners, as well as our community, were crucial components for being selected,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.
“With Lake County being positioned between Chicago and Milwaukee, it is a hub for drug trafficking.”
To be considered for HIDTA designation, law enforcement officials had to demonstrate a disruption and dismantling of organized crime, long-term investigations focused on drug trafficking leading to arrests and convictions, and partnerships with municipal as well as federal agencies to combat drug trafficking.
“The Lake County community will see great benefits with the additional resources to target drug traffickers,” Idleburg said. “We expect to see an increase in the arrest of drug traffickers and a decrease in the number of overdose deaths afflicting our community.”
Last year, the Special Investigations Group seized more than $110,000 worth of heroin, more than $1.2 million of cocaine, plus the seizure of 55 guns. In 2019, it also conducted 22 presentations to educate the community on human, gun and drug trafficking.
Since January, it seized more than $117,000 worth of cocaine, more than $108,000 of crack cocaine and more than $8,000 of heroin. The 2020 total also includes more than $41,000 of meth, nearly $3,000 worth of prescription pills, more than $1,600 of ecstasy and more than $5,000 of fentanyl.
The group also has conducted 10 presentations and charged 61 felonies since January.
The group includes the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Zion Police, Park City Police, Grayslake Police, North Chicago Police, Lake County Forest Preserve Police, Round Lake Beach Police, Lake Villa Police, Wauconda Police and Lake Forest Police, according to a statement.
