It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manger to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with the Texas Military Forces, Texas National Guard, to participate in a joint law enforcement counter-drug program.  

The Texas National Guard will assign one guardsman from their office to the City of Fort Worth Police Department pursuant to the Counter-Drug Support Program for Fiscal Year 2010.  The Texas National Guard additionally anticipates assigning an additional guardsman to the City of Fort Worth Police Department for a total of two positions.  The guardsmen from the Texas National Guard will be assigned to the Special Operations Division, Narcotic Section.

Up to two guardsmen will be assigned to the Fort Worth Police Department, Narcotics Section, in Fort Worth, in an Operational/Investigative Research Support capacity.  The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex has been designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).  The assigned guardsmen will perform Texas National Guard Bureau counter-drug research and analytical support including general analytical duties in support of narcotics interdiction and narcotics law enforcement operations, and analysis of trafficking trends and patterns pertaining to drug trafficking organizations and individuals, collection and dissemination of data related to individuals or trafficking groups that travel to and from known or suspected money and drug source cities.  The two assigned guardsmen will also assist the Police Department in the analysis of evidence obtained from defendants, cooperating sources or other investigative methods and other law enforcement activities in cooperation with the Special Operations Division, Narcotics Section, of the Police Department.  The guardsmen personnel serve in the military on full time status with the National Guard.  The National Guard will be responsible for all pay related salaries, allowances and benefits.

The continuation of this agreement will not require specific City Council approval.