Sheriff seeks grant to pay drug investigations overtime

LACONIA — The Belknap County Sheriff’s Department has applied for a $130,000 Department of Homeland Security grant that will enable the Belknap County Drug Task Force to pay overtime costs for drug investigations.

The task force, which is commanded by Sgt. William Wright of the Belknap County Sheriff’s Department and is made up of police officers from Belknap County towns and the city of Laconia, conducts investigations and makes arrests, but lacks the resources to put together sustained operations, according to Wright.

Belknap County Sheriff Mike Moyer and Wright told Belknap County Commissioners that the county has the highest per capita rate of drug overdoses and deaths in New Hampshire and needs to do more to deal with the problem.

They said the money will enable the task force to plan and execute drug investigations which should result in more people who are facing drug charges taking part in programs that help them deal with their addictions.

A key part of the operation would be interdiction patrols in which officers team up to monitor drug sales locations and apprehend suspected buyers and dealers.

The grants are channeled through the New Hampshire Department of Safety and are awarded on a competitive basis.

Commission Chairman Dave DeVoy questioned a phrase in the application that said one of the goals of the program is to double the number of arrests on drug charges.

He said that would criminalize those arrested rather than provide them with treatment.

Moyer said that the goal is to bring those with drug problems into a situation in which they can be compelled to take part in programs.

“We just want to get them the help they need,” said Moyer.

Commissioners voted unanimously to support the application.