Rep. McNally Announces $181,128.20 in State Grants for Local Drug Task Forces

Funding offsets costs for enforcing state drug laws and combating illegal drug activity

May 25, 2023

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) today announced the awarding of $181,128.20 in state funds for Sheriff’s offices in Ohio’s 59th district as part of the 2023 Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Funding Awards, administered by the Office of Criminal Justice Services within the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

“We have many national tools and state dollars that can support the people on the ground doing the work to keep our communities safe,” said Rep. McNally. “I’m very happy our drug task forces in Ohio’s 59th district will be supported in this network of information sharing and law enforcement.”

The Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Fund provides funding to defray expenses that a drug task force organization incurs in enforcing the state’s drug laws and other state laws related to illegal drug activity. Additionally, the program is intended to help local agencies enhance the safety of Ohioans through multi-jurisdictional task forces. Dollars may be used to investigate drug trafficking organizations, disrupt the drug supply through intelligence gathering, information sharing, and multi-agency coordination, as well as helping drug overdose victims and their families through education, support, and treatment options. This 12 month award program went toward 42 counties and 44 local law enforcement agencies around the state, for a total of $3 million.

Departments within Ohio’s 59th district received $181,128.20 in funds:

$78,998.33 for Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office
$102,129.87 for Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office

Grantees are required on a biweekly basis to enter drug stats in the online Drug Incident Summary Overview (DISCO) program through the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), a national model for a data collection partnership between Ohio’s drug task forces and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as participate in the online deconfliction program handled by the Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), specifically the Cleveland office.