The Indiana State Police will receive more than $2 million to combat the illegal manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil and prescription opioids as part of the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs.
“The Indiana State Police are so deserving of this grant money,” Southern District of Indiana U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said according to the Department of Justice. “They are on the front lines of this public health crisis by combating the scourge of opioid and methamphetamine use in Indiana. This is just another example of how the Indiana State Police and all law enforcement protect and serve Hoosiers on a daily basis.”
The grants will assist Indiana State Police investigators who work to combat trafficking and distribution of heroin, methamphetamine and other opioids.
COVID-19 has not slowed the opioid crisis, according to the Department of Justice. Drug overdose deaths are up among men and women of all races and nearly all ages. More than three out of five overdose deaths involve an opioid. More than 130 people die each day in the United States after overdosing on opioids. Methamphetamine is one of the most widely misused stimulant drugs in the world.
COPS is awarding nearly $30 million in grant funding to state law enforcement agencies through the Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) Program. This program provides three years of funding in states with high treatment admissions for heroin and other opioids. Money can be used to investigate illegal activities related to the distribution of heroin or other opioids. Indiana State police received $1.2 million in funding from the AHTF.
COPS' Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP) awards grants to state law enforcement departments who have a proven track record of seizing chemicals, finished methamphetamines and laboratories. CAMP funding is provided for three years to ensure this investigation and seizure work can continue. Indiana State Police received $1 million in funding from CAMP.