OXNARD : Council May Seek Anti-Drug Grant

The Oxnard City Council today will consider applying for a $220,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to establish a two-person “street level” drug enforcement team.

Under the proposal, the city would be asked to contribute $107,200 to the total project cost of $354,180. The remaining $26,980 would come from asset forfeitures confiscated in police drug raids.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Narcotics Control Discretionary Grant Program provides such grants for a one-year period to help local agencies prosecute drug offenders.

Although local matching funds are not required, a demonstration of commitment from local agencies--in the form of monetary contributions--may be a determining factor for federal officials deciding who will get the grants, according to a city report.

The two-person drug enforcement team, which would include a demand reduction officer and a case management clerk, would work specifically on reducing the demand for drugs.

The demand reduction officer would collect and distribute information from other narcotic enforcement teams and work with business owners to develop drug policies in the workplace.

The case management clerk would work with the demand reduction officer to establish and maintain a tracking and filing system for repeat offenders.