September 28, 2017

WOOD COUNTY RECEIVES HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREA DESIGNATION

Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Representative David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV) applauded the designation of Wood County, West Virginia as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). On May 9, 2017, Senator Manchin and Representative McKinley sent a letter to the Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy, Richard Baum, encouraging the designation of Wood County as HIDTA County. Wood County is one of 16 counties nationwide receiving this designation, announced today by Acting Director Baum. 

The HIDTA designation will enable Wood County to receive federal resources to further the coordination and development of drug control efforts among federal, state and local law enforcement officials. It also will allow local agencies to benefit from ongoing HIDTA-coordinated initiatives working to reduce drug use and its consequences across the United States.

“I’m glad Director Baum has answered our calls to declare Wood County a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The opioid epidemic is impacting every way of life in our state and it is crucial our law enforcement officials and drug task forces are well equipped to combat the influx of drugs coming into our state. Addressing our state’s drug abuse crisis is one of my top priorities and I will continue to fight for West Virginia to get the resources we need to end this epidemic,” Senator Manchin said.

“We need all the help available to fight drug epidemic ravaging our communities. The HIDTA program gives law enforcement additional resources to take drug traffickers off our streets. Wood County is the seventh county in the First District we’ve helped get a HIDTA designation. This will help law enforcement in Wood County fight this terrible scourge,” said Representative McKinley.

“Drug trafficking is a national problem that has to be addressed on the local level, and adding these counties to the HIDTA program is a critical part of this effort,” said Richard Baum, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy. “These new designations and the funding they will bring will help our Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers work together to disrupt and dismantle the trafficking networks that are bringing drugs into our communities.”

Wood is the 21st county in West Virginia to be designated. The following counties also have a HIDTA designation: Berkeley, Boone, Brooke, Cabell, Hancock, Harrison, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monongalia, Ohio, Putnam, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming.

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