MANSFIELD — A new $124,191 state grant for the METRICH Enforcement Unit makes the drug task force “whole” for the year, according to Mansfield police Chief Keith Porch.
The new funds, part of $2.3 million being distributed statewide through the RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund, will supplement the $166,481 that METRICH received earlier this year through the Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Fund.
Since the 10-county task force normally receives around $250,000 in DLEF funds annually, the new award brings the task force to normal funding levels, according to the chief.
“We applied for the (new) grant seeking confidential funds (for law enforcement drug buys) and some minor equipment purchases for use throughout the METRICH region,” Porch said.
“It keeps (METRICH) funded for another year,” the chief said.
Metrich receives law enforcement grant
The state’s DLEF is funded by $3.50 from each traffic moving violation that law enforcement agencies issue each year. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ohio in early 2020, it resulted in viewer people on the road and fewer citations being issued by officers on patrol.
“That (2020) resulted in the big reduction (to bout $118,000) last year. It must have improved in 2021,” the chief said in May when the grant for $166,481 was announced.
Funds from the DLEF grant go to pay for training of detectives, officer overtime to do drug investigations, equipment, consultants and other personnel, according to Porch.
“With these funds from RecoveryOhio, we are above that that $250,000 and it fully covers what we normally get from DLEF,” the chief said.
Statewide, the RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund will be awarded among 30 existing drug task forces to help them identify high-level drug traffickers, dismantle large drug trafficking organizations, interrupt the flow of money and drugs from international cartels, and prevent the sale of illegal narcotics to those suffering from substance use disorder.
“I’m committed to supporting our local drug task forces, which are working hard to stop the cartels that continuously push drugs into our communities, causing crime and addiction,” said Gov. Mike DeWine.
Grant funding will also be used to support the RecoveryOhio initiative, which aims to increase substance use and mental health awareness, implement age-appropriate prevention education in schools, connect those who need help with treatment, and promote recovery.
DeWine worked in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly to secure funding for these grants in the current operating budget. The program is administered by the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.
About METRICH
METRICH is a 10-county decentralized task force in North Central Ohio whose mission is to improve the quality of life for citizens by reducing the availability of illegal drugs and weapons through proactive enforcement efforts.
METRICH began in 1988 as a cooperative effort between Mansfield police, Richland County Sheriff’s Office and the country prosecutor when the two law enforcement agencies learned they were about to raid the same location.
It has grown over the years to include more than 40 communities in Richland, Ashland, Crawford, Knox, Hancock, Huron, Marion, Morrow, Seneca and Wyandot counties, funded by local agencies grants from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, which has encouraged regional cooperation and efficiency.
Citizens may report suspicious drug activity to the crime hot lines at: 419-522-7463 and www.METRICH.com
