Decatur, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is delivering new resources to investigate fentanyl and opioid-related crimes across Georgia.
Sen. Ossoff is delivering new funding through the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs to improve evidence analysis and help clear the Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ backlog of criminal investigations.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations will receive $700,000 through the Federal grant program, which will allow them to investigate fentanyl and other opioid-related cases faster and more efficiently by allowing existing forensic scientists to work overtime and send drug cases to a private lab for review.
“I’m delivering these resources to help Georgia law enforcement analyze substances, effectively investigate opioid and fentanyl related crimes, and bring perpetrators to justice,” Sen Ossoff said.
The DOJ’s Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program, named for Georgia’s former U.S. Senator, is aimed at improving the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner services.
Sen. Ossoff continues his advocacy to combat the opioid crisis and crack down on drug-trafficking in Georgia.
In July, Sen. Ossoff introduced the Fentanyl Trafficking Prevention Act to crack down on fentanyl trafficking by holding social media companies accountable for failing to prevent the sale of dangerous drugs on their platforms, including synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which is currentlykilling record numbers of Americans.
Late last year, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) was signed into law, helping rural communities experiencing a high level of opioid overdoses respond to the crisis.
Last fall, Sen. Ossoff also secured new resources to help crack down on illegal drug circulation in Georgia.
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