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111111111110 40 Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Formula Grant Program The members of the task force are housed in an off-site location, away from the local law enforcement facilities. They are provided with unmarked vehicles that allow them to blend in with the lay population without detection of their official job function. The work area for the task force is equipped with necessary work items; telephones, computers for report writing and statistical analysis, office supplies, and the funding for confidential informants and drug buys. The basic Premise of the M.A.C.E. Task Force role has expanded. The Sheriff's Office currently has a detective assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.) Regional Task Force. This has allowed us to expand our local investigations. We maintain a close relationship with federal agencies in our area. As our current goals and objectives stand, the unit does not get credit for arrests pertaining to pharmaceutical diversion (prescription fraud) cases. The M.A.C.E. Unit has been involved in thirty cases, some with multiple arrests. One of these included a multi -jurisdictional case with D.E.A. on a local doctor who was writing_ prescriptions to the Outlaw motorcycle gang, who in turn were selling the pills to the public. The members are working together in the gathering and development of intelligence information and the development and management of confidential informants. The sharing of the information leads to the identification, arrest, and conviction of person(s) using, selling, or transporting drugs into or out of Indian River County, The members are working side by side on surveillance, stakeouts, drug buys, reverse sale operations, search warrants, and arrests. They represent a united front in all ways necessary to combat the drug problem in Indian River County. The street dealer(s) have a need to worry, due to the concentrated effort to stifle street sales, but the mid-level dealer(s) and the organized drug operations are also being targeted- The members are working towards penetrating organized drug operations in this county. The members are maintaining contact with neighboring law enforcement agencies and similar task forces as well as federal agencies dedicated to drug activity; i.e.: U.S. Customs, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement- The members are working in conjunction with any of these agencies in an effort to infiltrate organizations that operate outside Indian River County boundaries, but whose revenues are derived by the delivery of illegal goods into our county. The members are periodically conducting marijuana eradication details with the assistance of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Indian River County's land mass of agriculture acreage makes an enticing target for the illicit growth and cultivation of marijuana. An influx of texmex marijuana into this area has allowed us to establish a greater raipur with agencies outside the State of Florida. They continue to update the M.A,C.E. Unit with information concerning 20 to 40 pound packages of marijuana that are being sent through parcel carriers such as U.P.S. These investigations have led to several arrests and seizures of assets- Without the M,A.C.E. Unit interaction, this type of investigation would be difficult to undertake. Nationally and locally we have discovered that the lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is back, use of it has surged especially among suburban, middle, and upper-class white teens and Young adults. During this last grant period a new drug, Rohypnol, reared its ugly head in the area. This drug, referred to as the "date rape drug" surfaced mostly in our north county high school, due to a major distribution point in Melbourne, Florida, which is located just 20 miles north We have made some arrests pertaining to this drug but are just learning who to target our investigations around. With the effort of this unit and the local community we may stop this influx before it reaches epidemic, proportions The resources provider{ through this grant, have already resulted in the penetration and arrest of all the drug dealers and their couriers in one neighborhood This has never been accomplished previously, due to the lack of resources The task force has eliminated the risk Sub rant App Wn UCIK-+ •' . P"* 5 0106