Since its inception in 1989, the Multi Agency Narcotics Squad (MANS), comprised of Officers from the Hall County Sheriff's Office and the Gainesville Police Department, has focused on combating street level drug activity. The Gang Task Force (GTF), founded in 1997, has traditionally focused on all crimes related to street gang activity.
The issue of the funding cuts was raised Thursday morning by Gainesville City Councilman Bob Hamrick. (See separate story.)
Since the late 1990s, federal funding has supported the GTF in the form of vehicles, fuel, and overtime reimbursement from the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force, and in 2006, the MANS unit was also brought into the federal fold.
"Unfortunately, due to budget reductions on the federal level, that support is being scaled back considerably," sheriff's office spokesman Stephen Wilbanks said. "But to alleviate any concerns that law enforcement activities in these specialized areas will be reduced, the sheriff's office wants to assure the public that its efforts in narcotics and gang investigations will continue as it always has, with only some logistical adjustments."
After the reductions, federal funding now only supports three county positions under the Safe Streets Task Force, which will continue to work jointly with Officers of the Gainesville Police Department. The remaining investigators will continue to work narcotics, gang, and vice crimes, but their operations will
be funded by the county and seized drug funds.
The primary effect of the loss of federal funding for these investigators will be in the form of overtime, fuel, and vehicle reimbursement. Sgt. Wilbanks said those issues have already been studied and are being accounted for within the framework of the current sheriff's office budget.
"Most importantly," Sgt. Wilbanks said, "neither the number of officers nor services in these areas will be reduced. The sheriff's office considers the investigation of narcotics and street gang crimes to be among the most
important work that our Deputies and Investigators do. We will continue to devote considerable effort to those endeavors in order to provide a safer community for the citizens of Hall County."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/10/242761