Drug Enforcement Unit

The Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) was established in October 2005. The unit was formed to investigate all narcotic activity affecting Etowah County residents. In March of 2008, the DEU was designated as a FBI Safe Streets Tasks Force. On average, the Drug Enforcement Unit investigates 1200+ cases per year.

The unit is under the command of Commander Kevin Hassell. Under his direction the DEU is ranked as one of the top task forces in the State of Alabama.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit is to prevent, deter, and investigate narcotic activity.  The unit seeks to educate the residents of Etowah County about the dangers of drug use and addiction through various drug awareness and prevention programs within our community and area schools.

Operations

The DEU is a multi-functional task force partnered with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and other first responders. The team works closely with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the North Alabama Criminal Enterprise Task Force and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

The DEU is comprised of 12 agents assigned from the Etowah County Sheriff's Office, Gadsden Police Department, and the FBI.

The unit's main responsibilities are to identify, investigate, and infiltrate narcotics dealers and their organizations within Etowah County and the surrounding area.  The DEU coordinates and assists other organizations and local police departments in combating street level drug crimes. Recruitment of informants to help remove narcotic producers and violators from the streets is essential.

The team also works long-term protracted cases, those involving multiple persons or jurisdictions, those of a historical nature, and those involving oral, wire, and/or video intercepts and smuggling.

Contact Information

To provide information on narcotic related activity or for any other related requests please contact us at 256-549-5465 or confidential tip line at 256-546-3131 or tipline@etowahcounty.org

The Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit is located at 103 Commerce Parkway, Gadsden, Al.

Thank you for helping us "fight the war on drugs."