CHARLES TOWN — Jefferson County Sheriff Pete Dougherty is already excited about the benefits his department and the community will receive as a result of being added into the federal Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area - official word about this selection was made Thursday, he said.

And he appreciates the help provided by the state's Congressional representative that helped make this funding a reality - Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin and Congressman Alex Mooney. U.S. Attorney of the Northern District of West Virginia William J. "Bill" Ihlenfeld was also a major supporter of this designation, Dougherty said.

"It really is an honor, because this is a very competitive selection process. As a result, Jefferson County is one of only 14 newly designated HIDTA counties nationwide," he said.

The 14 additional counties are located in 10 counties, including Carroll County, Maryland, according to an announcement made by Director of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli.

Berkeley County had the highest number of heroin overdose deaths in the state when it received this designation in late September 2014.

Other counties include Boone, Brooke, Cabell, Hancock, Harrison, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Ohio, Putnam, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming.

Thanks to this program, additional treatment will be available, Dougherty said.

"This will not only give us some money to stop drugs from coming in, but will also help on the other end with treatment. To have some opportunity to get people treatment, whether or not they have been convicted, is imperative. But right now we are usually looking at six weeks to six months for someone to get into treatment," he said.

Time matters, because there is usually a "limited window of opportunity" when an individual agrees to treatment, Dougherty said.

"This is a good day for the people of Jefferson County, and the surrounding jurisdictions. Our citizens should know that this is a major step to make Jefferson County a safer place to live, work and visit," he said.

SENATORS SPEAK

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she is proud to be a leader in the effort to receive this additional anti-drug assistance because the area's problems must be addressed now.

"When you have a problem, you have to find solutions and we've been working really hard to try and do that. And given the Eastern Panhandle's high heroin overdose and fatality rates, this shows that the federal dollars and decision makers recognize the importance of coordinating with state and local officials," she said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon.

"It's a good investment of our resources, because this HIDTA designation will help with enforcement and treatment. This is an indication that we are working in the right direction," Capito said.

In a joint press release issued with Manchin, Capito said she'd taken advantage of every high-level opportunity to press for this decision,

"Over the past year, I have worked diligently with local, state and federal officials to secure this designation. In April, Director Botticelli and other high-level leaders involved with the HIDTA program joined me in West Virginia to see the problem firsthand. And in Washington, I was vocal about my support on the Appropriations Committee, resulting in new funding for the HIDTA program," the release said.

Additionally, Capito hosted a drug prevent summit in Martinsburg with National HIDTA Program Director Michael Gottlieb and Washington-Baltimore HIDTA Director Tom Carr that led to a comprehensive assessment of heroin addiction in neighboring Berkeley County.

Manchin said it has been one of his top priorities to address the drug abuse epidemic in the state.

"As heroin trafficking and abuse rates continue to climb, it is absolutely critical that our local law enforcement officials and drug task forces have the resources they need to combat the influx of drugs coming into our state," he said.

MOONEY SUPPORTS DESIGNATION

"I am pleased to announce that Jefferson County has been designated a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. This HIDTA designation will bring critical resources to Jefferson County to combat the drug epidemic that is ravaging our communities and way of life," Mooney said in a press release.

"I have visited with my constituents and heard far too many heart-wrenching stories about the damages caused by drug abuse. These HIDTA resources will help federal, state, and local officials better coordinate efforts as they fight to keep West Virginia safe," he said.

LOCAL BENEFITS PRAISED

Jefferson Day Report Center Executive Director Ronda Eddy said it is impressive and helpful that two Eastern Panhandle counties now have this federal support.

"The funding that we got for Berkeley County for substance abuse treatment can now extend over to Jefferson County, because HIDTA absolutely pays for treatment as well as some transitional housing and supportive services," Eddy said.

"It will help me because we serve both counties, and it was hard to separate it between the two - but now I don't have to worry about that," she said.