Atlanta
HIDTA
Mission Statement: The mission of the Atlanta HIDTA is to improve the quality
of life in metropolitan Atlanta by reducing the availability of and demand for
illicit drugs; curtailing the attendant violent crime and illegal firearms
trafficking; eliminating the profits from illegal drug related activities,
and reclaiming neighborhoods from criminal control. The HIDTA Mission is
accomplished through integration of prevention and drug treatment support
linked to strict enforcement by the HIDTA Task Force employing applicable
federal, state and local laws. The HIDTA Task Force along with DeKalb
Police units operating within the DeKalb HIDTA Enforcement Initiative
are focused on dismantling major illicit drug organizations within or
directly influencing the Atlanta HIDTA's geographical areas of
responsibility.
|
General Information: |
|
Year of Designation: 1995 |
|
Geographic Areas of Responsibility: |
|
Georgia: |
City of Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb Counties and Hartsfield International Airport
|
|
Contact: |
(404) 815-4400
|
Threat Abstract:
Metro Atlanta's rapidly expanding immigrant/refugee population and long standing
preference as a significant importation base, wholesale and retail distribution
point, consumption hub, storage depot and rendezvous point are causative
factors in the movement of controlled substances. Metropolitan Atlanta is
comprised of the City of Atlanta, Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and 17 contiguous
counties. Its population, of more than 5 million people, represents the
heaviest human density and most ethnically diverse area in Georgia. Within
the City of Atlanta and the boundaries of Clayton County stands Hartsfield
International Airport, the nations busiest, in terms of air cargo and
passenger volume. Peachtree DeKalb Airport, also situated in one of
the Atlanta HIDTA, is the second busiest air terminal in the state.
The existing zones identified for HIDTA program activities are the
city of Atlanta (incorporated) Fulton and DeKalb counties and the
Federal Inspection Station at Hartsfield Airport. The most prevalent
available drugs are, in rank order: marijuana, cocaine (crack),
methamphetamine and heroin.
In metro Atlanta, Mexican criminal organizations routinely engage in wholesale
level trafficking and, to a lesser extent, in retail distribution of cocaine,
methamphetamine and marijuana. These groups traffic in multi-kilogram quantities
of controlled substances supplied from south Florida, southern California, Texas
and Mexico. Mexican criminal groups interface with local major traffickers
without regard to ethnic affiliation and are primary sources for drugs within
the Atlanta HIDTA area. Criminal hierarchy and organized infrastructure
from locally based organizations as well as local national distributors
represent the target groups for the Atlanta HIDTA Task Force.
Crack cocaine distribution and concomitant violent felonies continue to be the
principal criminal activities in the HIDTA zones. Street distribution of crack
cocaine has created within specific urban areas, a level of violence and social
decay never before experienced in this city. This deterioration is not limited
to designated HIDTA zones. The corrosive influence of drug abuse, trafficking
and violence has spread to a number of new untargeted zones in the city of
Atlanta and to specific locales in contiguous metro counties. During 2000,
as the Atlanta HIDTA's Automated Analytical Intelligence Facility and other
initiatives develop, HIDTA Managers, under the strategic direction of the
Atlanta HIDTA Executive Committee, will expand targeting and will apply
investigative resources appropriate to the emerging threat.
Strategy Abstract:
The Atlanta HIDTA Program is comprised of a coalition of federal, state and
local law enforcement, prosecutive and drug treatment agencies - each with
individual jurisdiction, mission and operational priorities. Each contributes
resources and services to critical HIDTA functions of law enforcement,
intelligence investigation, prosecution and overall criminal justice support
to mandatory drug treatment. The existing Atlanta HIDTA Task Force
(7 Groups) is composed of 57 federal, state and local enforcement
officers deployed at two HIDTA operational locations and dedicated to the
Atlanta HIDTA enforcement mission and its sub-initiatives. In initiative
#3 (Memorial Drive) eight DeKalb County Police officers and a HIDTA funded
canine carryout interdictory and investigative activity on a DeKalb
County corridor infamous for drug trafficking and violence. Offsite
activities are coordinated with HIDTA Task Force sub-initiatives and
intelligence programs through two additional DeKalb officers assigned
full-time to the HIDTA Investigative Support Center (ISC).
Coordination of HIDTA Airport activities occurs through a U. S.
Customs agent assigned to the ISC.
Investigative Support Center:
The Atlanta HIDTA Investigative Support Center (ISC) provides significantly
enhanced technical service support and housing for the HIDTA Task Force
and its constituent law enforcement agencies. In addition, the center
houses the Analytical Intelligence Center (AIC) to include the Metropolitan
Atlanta Joint Intelligence Group (MAJIG) that serves as the hub for sharing
drug and criminal intelligence among federal, state and local agencies and
promotes the exchange of information. Also, a completely automated
multi-station wiretap facility, technical equipment warehouse and large
booking and debriefing facility are located within the ISC along with
criminal information databases from federal, state and local LEAs.
The Atlanta HIDTA Investigative Support Center provides for full
development of HIDTA strategies and initiatives in Metropolitan
Atlanta. It is fulfilling the vision and policy guidance of the
HIDTA Executive Committee.
Initiatives that were approved to implement the 2000 Atlanta HIDTA Strategy include:
- Atlanta HIDTA Task Force—collocated members from 16
federal, state, and local agencies target core and secondary organizations
involved in the distribution of illicit narcotics and armed violence within
HIDTA Zones. The Task Force performs overt, covert and technical investigative
operations to measurably eradicate drug distribution and violence in the
Atlanta HIDTA region.
- Automated Analytical Intelligence Facility (AAIF)—provides
HIDTA Task Force with operational analytical support for ongoing "initiative
driven" case activity through access to criminal and commercial databases.
The AAIF also provides "deconfliction" services; strategic intelligence for
refined targeting and officer resource allocation. Drug threat assessments
and in-service analytical intelligence training are additional support
functions provided by the AAIF.
- Memorial Drive Corridor—enhances drug law enforcement
operations in a target area of DeKalb County under a coordinated design
for high impact on narcotics distribution and violence. Law enforcement
efforts will be directed at reducing mid to upper-level drug distribution
organizations and street level drug sales through enhanced interdiction
and investigation of targeted violator groups operating on or near Memorial
Drive.
- Investigative Support Center (ISC)—at this center,
collocated members from Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies
provide support to the HIDTA Task Force. Technical equipment, enhanced
automated investigative services, refined intelligence analysis, in-service
training, drug treatment and other HIDTA administrative support functions
are housed at this HIDTA Center, 763 Juniper Street, Atlanta, GA 30308.
- Administrative Support Initiative—strengthens financial
management and resource availability and accountability for Atlanta HIDTA
management, consistent with state, local and federal audit and accountability
requirements.
- Atlanta HIDTA Crime Laboratory—provides technical support
through laboratory services to drug related investigations and through
enhanced firearm forensics at the GBI laboratory serving all HIDTA law
enforcement agencies.
- Drug Treatment Program (DeKalb/Fulton Counties)—since
late 1997, HIDTA grant funding has supported a mandatory pre-trial drug
treatment program for more than 60 addicted recidivist felons in Fulton
and DeKalb Counties. FY 2000 Atlanta HIDTA Treatment Funding will no
longer be focused on actual treatment of addicts but rather on evaluation
of services and administrative development of treatment support systems
for treatment of prison populations. The Georgia State Department of
Corrections will serve as grant award recipient agency for FY 2000 HIDTA
Drug Treatment Programming.
- Automated Systems Support To Evaluation Functions—provides
developing automated information systems support to HIDTA initiatives for
evaluating initiative "inputs, outputs and outcomes," tracks investigations,
statistics, and maintains budget and inventory controls for all Atlanta HIDTA
administrative support functions.
- Prosecution Support Initiative—provides on-site prosecutive
and legal services to the HIDTA Task Force and management; enhances
interjurisdictional prosecution coordination; prosecutor liaison, and serves
as legal training officer and HIDTA staff attorney in Fulton and DeKalb Counties
for HIDTA zones located in the federal Northern District of Georgia.
- Management and Administration—Provides operational and
administrative management direction to the activities of sworn law enforcement
personnel assigned to the Atlanta HIDTA Task Force and Investigative Support
Center. Provides oversight to mission driven initiatives, budget development
and expenditures for all HIDTA related activities. Provides administrative
management direction to administrative staff, and HIDTA members assigned to
the HIDTA Task Force and HIDTA Investigative Support Center in Atlanta.
Outcomes:
The Atlanta HIDTA Task Force and the DeKalb HIDTA Enforcement Initiatives,
along with accompanying support initiatives have provided sustained focused
law enforcement actions and investigations on specifically targeted organizations
and individuals in 10 high violence and drug crime areas in metropolitan Atlanta.
Intelligence support initiatives are enhancing evaluative capabilities and
targeting for HIDTA agencies along with a commensurate deconfliction and
coordination mechanism. Title III and technical capabilities have been
developed for both enforcement initiatives and for all 13 LEAs participating
in the program. All HIDTA agencies are receiving value added support in
terms of forensics (crime lab) and technical intelligence support from the
HIDTA Investigative Support Center.
Participating Agencies:
|
Federal: |
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Drug Enforcement Administration,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Naturalization Service,
Internal Revenue Service, United States Customs Service, United States
Marshals Service, United States Housing and Urban Development |
|
State: |
Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia National Guard, and Georgia State
Patrol |
|
Local: |
Atlanta Police Department and DeKalb County Department of Public Safety
|
|
Other: |
DeKalb County District Attorney's Office, Fulton County District Attorney's
Office, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Georgia State Attorney General's
Office, Georgia State Department of Corrections, Metropolitan Atlanta Rail
and Transit Authority (MARTA) and United States Attorney's Office (NDGA)
|
Information is provided by the Atlanta HIDTA.
