Press Release
Area Law Enforcement Meeting Held in Somerset
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Kentucky
SOMERSET, KY. – Federal, state and local law enforcement officials met yesterday in Somerset, to discuss initiatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice that are designed to combat drug trafficking and violent crime.
Approximately 40 officials, including local prosecutors, police chiefs and sheriffs, met at the Center for Rural Development, to discuss current trends in drug trafficking and violent crime affecting the south central region of Kentucky. Representatives from Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) gave an intelligence briefing on the current trends.
U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr., his executive staff, and members of federal law enforcement agencies, have been traveling across the Eastern District of Kentucky and meeting with local law enforcement to provide information on two major initiatives: the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Enforcement Initiative and the U.S. Attorney’s Opiate/Opioid Prosecution Initiative. Attendees were given an overview of each initiative and provided tools, both to help them combat these problems on a local level and to develop appropriate cases for the prosecution of individuals under federal law.
“Our goal is to establish and maintain partnerships with local and state law enforcement, in a joint effort to remove violent offenders from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. “We also want to do our part in fighting the opioid epidemic, by providing tools to our local partners to assist in fighting the drug scourge impacting our communities.”
This is the third such meeting conducted by U.S. Attorney Duncan and was hosted and organized by Chief William Hunt of the Somerset Police Department. U.S. Attorney Duncan previously met with law enforcement partners in Ashland and Pikeville.
Updated June 22, 2018
Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Component