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Application for Funding Assistance Florida Department of Law Enforcement Justice Assistance Grant - County-wide - General Project Information Project Title : MULTI -AGENCY CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT UNIT Subgrant Recipient: Indian River County Board of Commissioners Implementing Agency : Indian River County Sheriffs Office Project Start Date : 10/ 1 /2009 End Date : 9/30/2010 Problem Identification Indian River County is located on the eastern seaboard of Florida and represents 543 square miles of total land mass . According to the Florida Research & Economic Database , the estimated population of Indian River County is 142 , 919 . During the tourist season the population increases to well over 180 , 000 people . The western portion of the county is predominately agricultural and the east is bordered by 22 nautical miles of the Atlantic Ocean . The undeveloped and isolated land areas to the west are ripe for the illegal cultivation of marijuana as well as clandestine methamphetamine production that is currently sweeping across the state of Florida . The available waterway routes for importation makes illicit activity attractive to the criminal element trafficking illegal narcotics into our communities . The law enforcement community of Indian River County estimates that over 50 percent of all crimes are attributed to drug abuse . Drug arrests for both sales and possession increased 20 percent throughout the entire county . Drug offenders are not constrained by any borders ; they cross jurisdictional boundaries every day to buy , sell , and manufacture illegal drugs . In 2009 , the Multi-Agency Criminal Enforcement Unit ( M . A. C . E . ) continued to target upper level drug dealers working within Indian River County . The M .A . C . E . Unit also investigated the street dealers and confiscated street level drugs , vehicles , and currency . Prescription/Fraud investigations increased which led to numerous arrests and the seizure of prescription narcotics . Also , drug deaths increased in 2008 with 26 reported deaths . As of May 2009 , there have been 16 confirmed drug deaths , which is approximately one death every ten days . Indian River County may surpass 2008? s figures in 2009 . Project Summary The Multi-Agency Criminal Enforcement Unit (M .A. C . E . ) is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Indian River County Sheriff?s Office and the Sebastian Police Department, with temporary assignments from Fellsmere Police Department and Indian River Shores Public Safety during times of need . . The M .A . C . E . Unit focus is two-fold , conduct investigations and gather intelligence that leads to the arrest and conviction of major drug suppliers , thus limiting the availability of illegal drugs to the street level dealers . Secondly, aggressively combat the street level distribution of drugs that deteriorate the quality of life for the citizens of Indian River County . Activities of the unit are overseen by a governing board that meets on a bi-monthly basis . The Board is comprised of the Sheriff and Undersheriff of Indian River County , the Chiefs of Police of the City of Sebastian , City of Fellsmere , Town of Indian River Shores Application Ref # 2010-JAGC - 1050 Section #2 Page 1 of 3 Contract -JAGC- INRI - - - Rule Reference 11M .006 OCJG-005 ( rev. April 2005)