District Attorney John J. Flynn established the Narcotics/Intelligence Bureau within the Office of the Erie County District Attorney as part of his commitment to combat drug trafficking in our region.
Over the past several years, there has been a concerning rise in opioid addiction and overdose deaths in Erie County. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office has engaged in an aggressive, multifaceted approach to combat this growing public safety and public health pandemic, including the establishment of the first Opioid Intervention Court program in our nation.
The Erie County District Attorney’s Narcotics/Intelligence Bureau, led by Chief John P. Gerken, Jr., will approach the County’s heroin epidemic on two primary fronts – through treatment and enforcement.
Treatment
The District Attorney continues to support local Drug Treatment Courts as well as the Opioid Intervention Court and the Veterans’ Court located within Buffalo City Court. These diversion courts operate within the criminal justice system to engage low-level, non-violent offenders in long-term treatment programs.
Enforcement
The District Attorney's Office works alongside our partners in law enforcement to investigate and aggressively prosecute drug dealers within the bounds of the law. The Narcotics/Intelligence Bureau collaborates with other State and Federal partners to identify and disrupt the sources of these deadly drugs that have been trafficked into Erie County. The mission of the bureau is to prosecute the individual street drug dealers while working uncover the sources of their supply through intelligence.