Iowa drug task force expects big drop in funding

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) - The future of a successful Iowa drug task force is uncertain because of dwindling federal grant funding.

The North Central Iowa Narcotics Task Force has successfully seized more than 260 pounds of methamphetamine and over 4,400 pounds of marijuana in the past 23 years, according to the Mason City Globe Gazette (https://bit.ly/1t350BA ).

Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Kevin Pals said the task force has had a significant impact on the drug problem in its nine-county area, but might not have the resources to respond if federal funding continues to decline.

Drugs are moved through the Mason City area because it is near Interstate 35 and not far from larger cities, Pals said.

Currently, the task force is expecting to see a 42 percent drop in funding next year, but that decision won’t be final until early June.

The federal funding has been declining steadily for several years. In 2011, the task force received $189,000. If the current budget proposal is approved, that will drop to $60,000.

The grant money helps pay for three full-time drug investigators at the Mason City Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and Franklin Country Sheriff’s Department.

If the funding cut stands, the task force could have to drop from three officers to one.

“Without continued funding, the task force response to drug use and distribution will be reduced and crimes will spiral out of control as the quest for drugs generates a multitude of other illegal acts,” Pals said.

Mason City Police Chief Michael Lashbrook said it helps to have trained drug investigators on staff to assist in identifying conspiracies and pursue larger cases. Plus, the task force works closely with federal prosecutors.

“We attempt to build the big drug conspiracy cases that over time have a serious impact on the communities involved,” he said.

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Information from: Globe Gazette, https://www.globegazette.com/