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NW HIDTA receives
three national awards
Northwest High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Area (NW
HIDTA) has received national
recognition for
its part in three programs
to fight and prevent the use
of illicit drugs.
The
Seattle-based organization
coordinates law enforcement
efforts to combat drug
trafficking in 14 counties
within Washington state, and
is part of the national
HIDTA network operating
under the White House Office
of National Drug Control
Policy.
One of its awards is for its
creation of the Northern
Border Task Force to help
curtail the sophisticated
drug trafficking
organizations that move
drugs, weapons and money
across the Canadian border.
In nominating the task
force for the award, NW
HIDTA Executive Director
David Rodriguez cited
several instances where
efforts of the group were
the main reason for stopping
millions of dollars worth of
cross-border drug shipments
and for apprehending those
involved.
A
second award is for NW
HIDTA’s support of drug
courts in 10 of the 14
counties it serves. Drug
courts offer a unique mix of
interdiction and treatment
options for those convicted
of drug-related offenses
rather than jail time.
A
third award is for the
HIDTA’s partnership with the
Greater Spokane Substance
Abuse Council (GSSAC)
for its work on drug
prevention efforts with area
tribes. In 2009 GSSAC was
a pivotal organization in
the inauguration of “Tribal
Track,” a program providing
training and discussions
that focused on tribal
communities in the region.
In addition, GSSAC staff
has assisted Spokane Tribal
Police a prescription
medication take-back
program. Most recently,
GSSAC conducted a community
forum that brought together
law enforcement, treatment
and prevention leaders
including the prevention
coordinator for the Spokane
Tribe and the Chief of the
Kalispel Tribal Police
Department.
“I’m very gratified by
ONDCP’s recognition of our
programs, but must give all
the credit to our partner
agencies,” said Steve Freng,
prevention and treatment
specialist for NW HIDTA.
“The Drug Court Initiative
entails ten different County
Superior Court programs in
the Northwest HIDTA region
and many dedicated staff and
clients. The Greater
Spokane Substance Abuse
Council also deserves
accolades for, on their own
initiative, building very
effective relationships with
the Native American
communities in their
locale.”
Rodriguez and Freng accepted the awards of behalf
of NW HIDTA and its partner
agencies at a June 22 awards
banquet in Washington, D.C.
NW HIDTA report outlines gang
activity in Washington state
More than 300 active street gangs in
Washington state with around 15,000 members are using social media to post
their activities and to recruit new members, a
new report by staff at NW HIDTA states. Gangs are using Facebook,
YouTube and other networking sites to communicate with each other worldwide,
to enlist new members and to intimidate or threaten their rivals, according
to NW HIDTA's
Washington State Gang Intelligence Bulletin 2010.
King County has the most gangs, at 120, in the state, with Pierce County
posting the second highest at 50, or 16 percent of the state's total. Yakima
County has 40 known gangs and there are 21 gangs in Thurston County. Prison
gangs make up 18 percent of the state's prison population and account for 43
percent of violent incidents within the prison system. Gang activity is also
prevalent on many of the state's Indian reservations,
despite zero tolerance policies by some tribes.
NW HIDTA MISSION STATEMENT
The Northwest HIDTA mission is to measurably reduce large-scale importation
and local drug trafficking by intercepting shipments, to disrupt local
manufacturing and trafficking operations, and to reduce demand by supporting
treatment and effective demand reduction programs. The Northwest HIDTA
focuses on high value drug trafficking targets and financial.
The goals of the Northwest HIDTA are to:
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Location in Seattle |
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Investigative Support Unit |
THE NORTHWEST HIDTA:
In January 1997, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
designated a seven county area in Washington State as a High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area (HIDTA). In 2002, the Northwest HIDTA expanded to 14
counties, which encompasses Benton, Clark,
 Cowlitz,
Franklin, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston,
Whatcom, and Yakima. These counties are the region's main drug trafficking
gate-way, facilitating five different importation routes. These routes are
(1) SeaTac Airport; (2) large scale container traffic through the Ports of
Seattle and Tacoma; (3) I-5 corridor traffic coming north from the
U.S.-Mexican border; (4) the Yakima Valley (Highway 97), the predominant
corridor to Eastern Washington; and (5) cross-border traffic to and from
Canada in Whatcom County. The Northwest HIDTA’s two greatest drug threats
are methamphetamine and marijuana. Although clandestine methamphetamine lab
activity has significantly decreased, methamphetamine use remains prevalent.
The decrease in local production is off-set by increased production in
Mexico by Mexican poly-drug trafficking organizations. Marijuana is the most
readily available and widely abused drug in Washington State.
PREVENTION INITIATIVES:
Four Northwest HIDTA initiatives address the demand
reduction elements of the mission and goals. The Drug Court Development initiative
supports enhancements to each of the programs operated in HIDTA counties. The Community
Coalition Support initiative entails a regional substance abuse prevention strategy,
implemented by innovative projects in each HIDTA County. The Public Education/Awareness
initiative includes the “M-Files” website, the “Say It Straight”
training curriculum and print/video materials about marijuana and methamphetamine. The
MIS/Evaluation initiative is comprised of outcome studies of the HIDTA-region Drug Court
programs and prevention projects, and the development of a regional case management
information system network.
INVESTIGATIVE SUPPORT UNIT:
The ISU’s two primary elements are the Watch Center
and Analytical Unit. The Analytical Unit provides both tactical and strategic intelligence
services. The strategic responsibilities of this group include providing regional threat
assessments on an annual basis. Analytical Unit members may work closely with
investigators as a criminal case develops or with attorney’s in preparation for
trial. This HIDTA service is designed to enhance the investigative process by applying
proven intelligence analysis techniques. The Watch center offers two very important and
highly valued services for drug investigators; deconfliction and Intelligence Research.
Deconfliction plots drug arrests, sales, money pickup, raids, and surveillance and places
them onto a computerized map. If another agency is working on the same subject, in very
close proximity or if the agencies are targeting each other, the computer alerts the
operator. Each agency involved is then told that a conflict may exist and is asked to
contact the agency in conflict. The Watch Center’s analysts have the ability to
supply investigators with drug intelligence information from the Federal, State, and Local
agencies. The Watch Center uses the Western States Information Network (WSIN) as its
primary database. All Watch Center employees are cross designated as WSIN analysts and
have computer access to WSIN and the Regional Information Sharing System (RISS).
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT PROGRAM:
The Investigative Support Unit has a surveillance equipment
loan program. It includes night vision equipment, tracking devices, audio and video
recording equipment. The HIDTA’s electronics technician provides assistance to
investigators by installing telephone intercept devices such as trap and trace; pen
registers and dialed number recorders. The HIDTA also provides investigators with the
ability to intercept criminal activity involving digital pagers. This loaned equipment
program is similar to WSIN’s in many respects. The HIDTA’s Electronic Technician
trains investigators on how to use each piece of evidence gathering electronics.
INVESTIGATIVE SUPPORT UNIT:
The strategic
responsibilities of the ISC also include providing an annual regional drug
threat assessment and other special studies, as needed.
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