City Council Meeting Date: October 15, 2019
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Monte Nelson, Chief of Police
Title
Consider Approving BCA Joint Powers Agreement renewal for participation in the Minnesota Anti-Heroin Task Force Program.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council is asked to consider a Motion approving the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) renewal between the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and City of Northfield, and to direct the Mayor and City Clerk to sign the attached JPA.
Summary Report:
The Minnesota BCA has created the Minnesota Anti-Heroin Task Force Program (AHTF) receiving funding through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. The AHTF allows cooperative agreements between BCA and Local Government Units to investigate crimes related to the distribution, trafficking, inappropriate prescribing of opioids, and the investigation of fatal opioid-related overdoses. Through these agreements, local law enforcement agencies may receive reimbursement for overtime expenses related to these opioid investigations.
Council previously approved this JPA in June of 2019, and that JPA will expire October 31, 2019. The request before the Council is for a renewed JPA that would be valid for five years after the date of execution with the BCA.
The proposed JPA would allow the Northfield Police Department to receive reimbursement for overtime expenses related to the investigation of fatal opioid-related overdoses. There would be no financial obligation to the City of Northfield.
Over the past 12 years, the NPD has investigated many opioid-related crimes and overdoses. In the last two years, the Northfield area has experienced significant increases in the presence of Fentanyl and Carfentanil in illicit drugs being purchased and consumed. These synthetic opioids are extremely dangerous and dramatically increase the likelihood of a fatal overdose. In the last 18 months, the NPD has in...
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