DENVER – Today, the Polis administration, through the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) within the Colorado Department of Public Safety, announced that law enforcement agencies can now apply for grant funding to help them investigate, enforce, prosecute, and disrupt illegal opioids including fentanyl in Colorado.

“We are continuing to take action to make Colorado safer, help save lives, and get the deadly poison fentanyl out of Colorado communities, and this grant program is one of many important steps we are taking to improve public safety across Colorado,” said Governor Jared Polis.

DCJ is now accepting applications from law enforcement agencies for the Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program. The deadline to apply is Jan. 6, 2023.

The grant program is part of a comprehensive public safety package to make Colorado one of the ten safest states in the nation. In May, Governor Polis signed the bipartisan HB22-1326 sponsored by State Senators John Cooke and Brittany Petterson, and State House Speaker Alec Garnett. The State Attorney General’s Office is an important partner in the implementation of the bill, including consulting on the grant program.

“This funding is an important step forward to ensure local law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to investigate and stop the flow of deadly fentanyl that is harming our communities,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser. “I’m grateful for the leadership of the bill sponsors, parents, and advocates who we partnered with to craft and push this important amendment to House Bill 22-1326 to get these critical dollars to police and sheriffs.”

The Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program will make $6.86 million in grant funding available to law enforcement agencies for:

    Investigating deaths and serious injuries caused by illegal synthetic opiate poisoning

    Investigating, enforcing, and prosecuting synthetic opiate importation and high-level distribution networks to reduce the supply of illegal synthetic opiates and precursor chemicals in Colorado

    Technology, equipment, and training to enhance intelligence, information-sharing capabilities, and interagency collaboration regarding synthetic opiate importation and high-level distribution networks

    Analyzing emergent trends in markets for the import and distribution of illegal synthetic opiates and establishing systems to enhance market surveillance.

HOW TO APPLY: For more information & to apply online, visit https://dcj.colorado.gov/crime-prevention-grant-programs