City Council
July 18, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson
City Administrator
FROM: Darren Allison
Interim Chief of Police
SUBJECT: OPD DEA Task Force MOU DATE: June 27, 2023
City Administrator Date
Approval
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator Or Designee To Enter Into A Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) Through December 31, 2023 With The United States Department Of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) And The Oakland Police Department (OPD) DEA Task Force Group (Task Force) To Collaborate On Information Sharing And Focused Operations To Disrupt Illegal Drug Activity Occurring In The City Of Oakland.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This resolution, if approved by the City Council, will authorize OPD participation in the OPD DEA Task Force until December 31, 2023. The Task Force focuses on investigations related to trafficking of illegal drugs in Oakland. The MOU stipulates that OPD will assign one OPD sworn officer to collaborate with DEA Task Force. The DEA will also provide funding for office space, supplies, travel funds, equipment, and training, subject to funding availability.
BACKGROUND AND LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
There is an established nexus between the use, manufacture, and sale of illegal narcotics and violent crime in Oakland. The mission of the DEA is to “enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets.
The DEA State and Local Task Force combines federal leverage and the specialists available to the DEA with state and local officers’ investigative talents and detailed knowledge of their jurisdiction to lead drug law enforcement investigations. The DEA shares resources with state and local officers, thereby increasing the investigative possibilities available to all.
Jestin Johnson (Jul 5, 2023 18:12 PDT)
Jul 5, 2023
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD DEA Task Force MOU
Date: June 27, 2023 Page 2
City Council
July 18, 2023
DEA Task Forces also allow state and local police agencies to receive a share of forfeited drug proceeds; participation in DEA Task Forces also allows the DEA to pay for the overtime and investigative expenses of participating police agencies.
The current proposed MOU was presented to PAC November 3, 2022, and unanimously approved.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The MOU stipulates that OPD will assign one OPD sworn officer to collaborate with DEA Task Force. Table 1 below showcases the arrests, drug seizures and firearm recoveries the local DEA Taskforce has carried out in recent years.
Table 1: DEA-OPD Taskforce Operational Results in Oakland: 2019 - 2023
ACTION 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 YTD
Arrests 30 52 61 25 19
Firearms
Recovered 5 46 61 4 32
Asset Seizure $358,806 $4,025 $699,877 $423,915 $4,007 Cocaine
Seized 32.3 4.4 35.5 3.6 8
Heroin
Seized 4.2 1.9 1.3 0.3 43.3
Amphetamine
Seized 53.6 36.8 185.9 5.4 77.4
Fentanyl
Seized 0.9 1.2 28.9 12 28.5
* Seizure amount is by the kilogram
The data above provides a snapshot into the investigations performed by the DEA in Oakland.
DEA agents have removed 32 illegally possessed firearms so far this year, in addition to fentanyl, amphetamine, heroin and cocaine. In numerous cases these firearms are connected to violent crime as well as to illegal drug trafficking. In 2022, Oakland experienced 3,177 aggravated assaults (including 456 shootings with injuries and 337 shootings related to an occupied home or vehicle) and 2,653 robberies (including 1,095 involving firearms). The removal of 61 firearms in 2021, 4 in 2022, and already 32 in 2023 has a direct positive impact on the level of shootings and violent crime occurring in the city.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No outreach was deemed necessary for this report beyond the standard City Council agenda noticing procedures.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD DEA Task Force MOU
Date: June 27, 2023 Page 3
City Council
July 18, 2023
COORDINATION
The MOU was presented to PAC November 3, 2022, and unanimously approved. OPD consulted with the Budget Bureau and the Office of the City Attorney in the development of this report and accompanying resolution.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no personnel or other costs to OPD associated with collaboration with this taskforce; OPD will designate one officer already employed through OPD’s operating budget. Any distributions of forfeited assets from DEA to OPD shall be deposited into Fund to be determined, Org 102310, Account 46319, Project to be determined, and Program PS03.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: There are no economic opportunities associated with this report.
Environmental: There are no environmental opportunities associated with this report.
Race and Equity: OPD’s collaboration with the DEA helps OPD to target not only illegal drug and narcotics trafficking but violent crime connected to illegal drug trafficking and associated networks through investigation via intel led policing. All residents and visitors benefit from these efforts to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in this illegal and dangerous activity.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD DEA Task Force MOU
Date: June 27, 2023 Page 4
City Council
July 18, 2023
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator Or Designee To Enter Into A Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) Through December 31, 2023 With The United States Department Of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) And The Oakland Police Department (OPD) DEA Task Force Group (Task Force) To Collaborate On Information Sharing And Focused Operations To Disrupt Illegal Drug Activity Occurring In The City Of Oakland.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Lt. Stave Valle at [email protected].
Reviewed by:
Drennon Lindsey, Deputy Chief
OPD, Bureau of Investigations
Eriberto Perez-Angeles, Captain of Police
OPD, VCOC
Steve Valle, Lieutenant
OPD, VCOC
Prepared by:
Tracey Jones, Police Services Manager
OPD, BOS, Research and Planning
Attachments (1)
A: OPD DEA Taskforce MOU