BRIDGEPORT, W. Va. — Harrison County will soon be receiving aid in the fight against drugs.
Rep. David McKinley announced on Monday Harrison County has been designated a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which allows for access to valuable resources to combat drug crimes.
“Drug abuse and the criminals who facilitate it scar our communities and destroy lives,” McKinley said. “We need to use all the resources at our disposal to take these criminals off our streets and disrupt the drug trade.”
Created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, the HIDTA program provides assistance to Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to reduce drug trafficking.
“The additional funding allocated through the HIDTA program will go a long ways to help us fight this epidemic,” McKinley said. “The drug task force in Harrison County is ready to use these funds to respond aggressively.”
Brooke, Hancock, Ohio, and Marshall Counties all have received the HIDTA designation.
“The HIDTA designations in the four counties in the Northern Panhandle have helped law enforcement disrupt and stop drug traffickers,” added McKinley. “This announcement is a significant step in fighting Harrison County and West Virginia’s drug abuse and violent crime problem.”
McKinley worked with the Task Force in Bridgeport to discuss their efforts and ways to help support their mission.