MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Josh Kaul announced that local law enforcement agencies and multijurisdictional drug enforcement groups in 48 Wisconsin counties will benefit from grants made available by 2017 Wisconsin Act 261.

“These funds will help law enforcement officers who are working to fight drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “While we need to continue expanding access to substance-abuse treatment, we also must ensure that investigators have the resources they need to dismantle drug-trafficking organizations.”

The legislation, authored by Rep. John Nygren and former Sen. Leah Vukmir, provided $1 million to the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) to award to local and tribal law enforcement agencies for the investigation and response to drug trafficking.

“Last session I was proud to author my 29th and 30th HOPE Agenda bills which provided the funding for these grants,” said Rep. John Nygren. “This allowed law enforcement across the state to apply for grant funding to combat high-level drug traffickers who are facilitating the deadly flow of drugs into our state and communities. Because of our bipartisan action, we are providing our law enforcement the tools to keep our neighborhoods safe.”

Funds provided to the applicant organizations will support local law enforcement agencies and multijurisdictional drug enforcement groups in 48 counties. All organizations that applied were awarded funds up to $50,000. Less than $85,000 in grant funds still remains available, and will be distributed through a separate grant process.

“Methamphetamine distribution and the collateral damage of addiction is currently our department’s number one issue and community concern,” said Police Chief Kyle Cadotte of Red Cliff Police Department. “It takes focus, dedication and assistance from multiple agencies to develop strong conspiracy cases. The allocated equipment funds will further our investigative abilities in the far north and allow for effective collaboration with other law enforcement entities. Even with great resources and devotion from law enforcement we still acknowledge it will take community members, resources from local programs and a multi-disciplinary and faceted approach to make measurable progress in this battle.”

Multijurisdictional enforcement groups enhance interagency coordination, share intelligence, and facilitate multijurisdictional investigations focused on drug trafficking. To assist enforcement groups, these grant funds will be used to purchase items such as undercover vehicles, surveillance equipment, and safety equipment like fume hoods and narcotic field testing instruments.

A list of grant recipients is below.