REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 1, 2026
FROM
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Award for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2026 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Grant Award (Federal Award No. HID1026G0708-00), in the amount of $1,108,476, from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, accepting the 2026 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program funding, for the performance period of January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027.
2. Authorize the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator or Chief Deputy Director of Sheriff’s Administration to electronically execute and submit, on behalf of the County, the grant award and any non-substantive amendments, as requested by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator to transmit the grant award and any non-substantive amendments to the grant award to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Carolina Mendoza, Chief Deputy Director, 387-0640)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator (Department) has received grant funds for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) since 1997. The grant performance period is from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027. The Department can submit claims for reimbursement retroactively to January 1, 2026. Sufficient appropriation and revenue are included in the Department’s 2026-27 budget. No matching funds are required.
The grant award in the amount of $1,108,476 will provide funding in the amount of $623,420 for the Inland Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team (IRNET), $385,056 for the Regional Methamphetamine Task Force (RMTF), and $100,000 for the Vehicle Interdiction Pipeline Enforcement Resource (VIPER) Task Force, as summarized below:
|
Description |
IRNET |
RMTF |
VIPER |
Total |
|
Personnel |
$98,212 |
$40,000 |
$0 |
$138,212 |
|
Overtime |
$306,386 |
$221,500 |
$88,600 |
$616,486 |
|
Travel |
$5,000 |
$10,000 |
$9,000 |
$24,000 |
|
Equipment |
$23,434 |
$0 |
$0 |
$23,434 |
|
Services and Supplies |
$190,388 |
$113,556 |
$2,400 |
$306,344 |
|
Total |
$623,420 |
$385,056 |
$100,000 |
$1,108,476 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The HIDTA program provides federal assistance to local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating cooperation and providing reliable law enforcement intelligence among law enforcement agencies and supporting coordinated law enforcement strategies that make the most of available resources.
Since 1997, the Department has received HIDTA grant funds from the ONDCP for IRNET, RMTF, and more recently, VIPER initiatives. IRNET is a joint effort between the Department, as the lead agency, and other member agencies designed to target, investigate, and prosecute major drug trafficking organizations. RMTF is a joint effort between San Bernardino and Riverside Counties to target major methamphetamine production/distribution and make arrests of persons/organizations involved in illicit sales and trafficking of methamphetamine. VIPER is a joint effort between the Sheriff’s Departments of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties to target drug trafficking on the highway.
The total allocation for IRNET of $623,420 will fund personnel costs of existing positions, including overtime, supplies, equipment, investigative services, service contracts, and other program-related expenses. The equipment line item will provide funding for one replacement server. Additionally, the grant will provide overtime reimbursement to the California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control, Montclair Police Department, Ontario Police Department, Redlands Police Department, San Bernardino Police Department, Upland Police Department, Rialto Police Department and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The $385,056 allocated for RMTF will fund the Department’s overtime and partial salary, without benefits, in addition to travel, supplies, service contracts, and other operating expenses of this program. The $100,000 allocated to VIPER will fund the Department’s overtime, travel, services, and supplies.
The Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the submission of the grant application on April 8, 2025 (Item No. 53). The ONDCP released the award notification on July 3, 2026. The agreement is being submitted to the Board at this time, as this is the first available date following the required fiscal, operational, and legal reviews.
Approval of Recommendation No. 2 will authorize the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator or the Chief Deputy Director of Sheriff’s Administration to electronically submit grant award documents, on behalf of the County, in compliance with ONDCP’s policy.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Grace B. Parsons, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 5, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on August 14, 2026.