Mayor Barlow Announces Creation Of City Of Oswego Drug Task Force

City of Oswego Drug Task Force graphic provided by Mayor Barlow's office.

OSWEGO – Mayor Billy Barlow announced today the creation of the City of Oswego Drug Task Force to combat the increase of heroin, molly, methamphetamine, and other illegal drugs in and around the city of Oswego.

First mentioned in the Mayor’s State of the City Address earlier this year, a $250,000 funding allocation to the Oswego Police Department will allow for the creation of the task force, consisting of several current police officers to be assigned specifically to the task force to perform in-depth investigations, increase surveillance operations and other enforcement details.

Previously, the City of Oswego participated in the Oswego County Drug Task Force, comprised of several different agencies from around the county.

Barlow said the City of Oswego Police Department will still work with the county task force, but the city needs more attention, resources, and results in the near term to achieve meaningful results.

“Historically, the drug task force has been understaffed and unable to manage multiple investigations consistently,” said Phil Cady, chief of the Oswego Police Department and director of Homeland Security. “Creating this new unit, with proper staffing, will allow the department to focus on city investigations and known problems all while still working with our county partners. The allocated funding, provided by Mayor Barlow and the Common Council, will allow the purchase of much needed equipment and cover required staffing needs and I thank the Mayor and Council for their leadership and trust in the department on this issue.”

Earlier this year, Mayor Barlow and Chief Cady announced a complete restructure of the Oswego Police Department through contract negotiations with the Lake City Police Club, allowing for twelve-hour shifts, the introduction of the captain rank, and several other changes to produce more officers on shift at one time to conduct additional canvassing efforts, increased special enforcement details, more quality-of-life patrols and extra time to focus on important investigations.

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