SPOKANE, Wash. — Mayor Lisa Brown proposed combining federal and city resources to establish a new Special U.S. Assistant Attorney to focus on narcotics prosecution impacting the City of Spokane.
If approved by the City Council, this attorney will be a city employee who works alongside the Eastern District of Washington US Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will provide office space, training, day-to-day supervision, and will assist with recruitment, interviewing and identifying successful candidates.
In a press release, Brown says that developing the role in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office secures a close relationship with federal agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and have strengthened penalty provisions for high-level drug dealers and traffickers.
“Our community has been deeply affected by the opioid epidemic. To address this crisis, I am looking to create a new special attorney role to target the root of the problem – drug dealing and trafficking. By focusing upstream, we aim to cut off the supply before it reaches our most vulnerable, preventing more people from falling victim and giving our community a chance to heal,” Mayor Brown said.
“I am grateful to US Attorney Vanessa Waldref and her team for their partnership in this effort. Together, we will create better outcomes for our community."
