 "Photo:")
Butler County's new drug task force unveiled themselves March 31 when they turned in 163 pounds of marijuana after spending two months undercover.
The new law enforcement team is called the BURN task force, an acronym for Butler County Undercover Regional Narcotics.
The essence of the task force is an attempt to harvest information from multiple agencies across the county. The BURN task force opens the door for more information and consolidates on taxpayer's money.
Sgt. Todd Langmeyer of the county sheriff's office said the BURN task force will also keep agencies from working on the same operations.
Langmeyer said with the BURN task force, multiple agencies share information and more busts because of the collaboration.
"The pride issue can overcome with a task force and not sharing information creates a challenge," Langmeyer said.
According to Dwyer, two 18-year-old females from Hamilton were charged with drug trafficking and possession last week after undercover BURN agents received intelligence on drug distribution.
The undercover agents stopped the women's vehicle on Interstate 75 near state Route 129 and found they were carrying approximately 163 pounds of marijuana.
Dwyer said the investigation is still continuing as the force searches for the source of the marijuana.
Dwyer said the task force has been developing during the last few months and includes officers from agencies in surrounding areas. These agencies have contributed 15 members to the force, including five sheriffs, four agents and one sergeant.
Police departments and other agencies that are part of the task force include Fairfield, Hamilton, Middletown, Monroe, Oxford, Trenton, West Chester Township, the Butler County Prosecutor's Office and Butler County Adult Probation. Monroe and West Chester are still in the process of committing one person from their cities as well, Dwyer said.
The agencies share the cost of operations of the task force, keeping costs at a minimum.
"The force is still a work in progress and will continue to develop," Dwyer said.
Langmeyer said the task force has made other busts recently involving ecstasy and heroin. More than six arrests have been made with the force thus far.
