United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

PARKER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE RECEIVES FEDERAL GRANT
TO COMBAT METHAMPHETAMINE

WEATHERFORD, Texas — At a ceremony this afternoon attended by numerous dignitaries in the historical Parker County Courthouse, U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas and Congresswoman Kay Granger presented the Parker County Sheriff’s Office with a check representing $408,577 in federal grant money to assist the county in their methamphetamine fighting efforts. Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler has announced that his office will share the resources with the Parker County District Attorney’s Office and the Weatherford Police Department to ensure the maximum benefit from the grant funds.

U.S. Attorney Roper said, “I was proud to support the Parker County Sheriff’s Department in this grant application and am thrilled that the Department of Justice and COPS have awarded these funds to them to assist in their meth crime-fighting efforts. No city or town, no matter how large or small, is safe from this drug. Through the years, my office has enjoyed a strong partnership with law enforcement in Parker County and I pledge that we will continue to work with them in waging this war on methamphetamine in Parker County.”

“I commend the Parker Country Sheriff’s Office for receiving this grant. Meth use and production is a growing problem and Parker County proved they had a comprehensive plan in place to deal with it. This grant will provide law enforcement with the additional tools they need to combat meth manufacturing and distribution locally,” said Congresswoman Granger.

The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded approximately $43 million to 117 law enforcement agencies in 38 states under the COPS Methamphetamine Initiative. These grants can be used to help communities combat the manufacture, use, and distribution of meth, and to collaborate with other entities to treat and prevent methamphetamine abuse. This is a targeted program that focuses on supporting communities facing significant meth problems based on data from the DEA’s El Paso Intelligence Center, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Treatment Episode Data.

To learn more about the Department of Justice’s efforts in fighting methamphetamine, visit http://www.usdoj.gov/methawareness For more information on COPS, visit http://www.cops.usdoj.gov

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