2014 ANNUAL REPORT FLORIDA’S DOMESTIC MARIJUANA ERADICATION PROGRAM A partnership coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE)

Submitted by: Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement March 2015

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INTRODUCTION Florida’s warm climate and wide-ranging rural woodlands provide a fertile environment for criminals to cultivate cannabis plants (marijuana). The eradication of cannabis plants at the source immediately strikes a blow against drug dealing and abuse by reducing the availability of marijuana on the street. Eradicating marijuana before it can be cultivated also increases citizen and officer safety and reduces overall investigative costs.

Through the coordination of the Domestic Marijuana Eradication (DME) Program, federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities have found a cost effective and measurable means to prevent a sizable amount of domestically cultivated marijuana from reaching the street. This is evidenced in the statistical success of Florida’s DME Program and its federal counterpart, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Domestic Cannabis Eradication/ Suppression Program (DCE/SP). For over thirty years, the combination of these two programs and the support they have received from federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities has resulted in the detection of approximately 34,056 illegal grow sites; eradication of over $2.7 million marijuana plants valued at over $3 billion; and, the arrest of over 17,930 cultivators in Florida (historical data provided on page 4).

Since its inception in 1981, the Florida DME Program has set national standards and served as a role model for other states. In addition to being known for its progressive program, Florida’s DME Program is also noted for its specialized law enforcement training in the areas of aerial detection and indoor grow investigations.

The Florida DME Program’s success is due to its ability to support law enforcement efforts and adapt to the changing culture of the illicit cultivator. The initial Florida DME Program focused primarily on the outdoor cultivation of marijuana. However, due to the success of aerial detection programs and with the increase in Florida’s urbanization, the illicit cultivator has expanded indoors. For this reason, the Florida DME Program now supports law enforcement efforts to eradicate both indoor and outdoor marijuana grow sites. In calendar year 2014, the program was managed and administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE).

In 2008, recognizing the issues Florida law enforcement faced in the fight against indoor grow houses, the Florida Legislature passed a law reducing the number of plants needed to be grown in order to be charged with trafficking, and strengthened the penalties for certain circumstances. This law went into effect July 1, 2008, and appeared to be effective as eradication statistics reported were continuing to show a reduction from previous annual eradication totals.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW The DME is a voluntary program offered to local agencies through OALE. Each year, DEA allocates funds to OALE which are then dispersed to local law enforcement agencies for training and reimbursement to offset spending for indoor and outdoor grow investigations. For 2014, OALE received $500,000 for the program. This 2014 Annual Report reflects statistical information provided by 64 law enforcement agencies in 49 Florida counties, including 46 sheriff’s offices and 18 municipal law enforcement agencies. Program funds were directly provided to 60 law enforcement agencies to help offset their investigation costs. The amount disbursed, $382,447, resulted in 91% of the total requests for reimbursements being funded. Florida’s DME Program funds are also utilized to provide in-depth training to law enforcement officers at no cost to their agency. In support of this effort, OALE sponsored two Indoor Cannabis Investigations Schools and one joint Outdoor Cannabis Investigations/Aerial Detection School for law enforcement officers in 2014. The schools were attended by 155 law enforcement officers from 77 law enforcement agencies, including 38 sheriff’s offices, 36 police departments, 2 state agencies, and 1 federal agency. OALE expended $127,856 (26% of total DME funds) in training-related expenses for law enforcement officers during 2014.

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2014 GROW ACTIVITIES In 2014, the reported seizures of marijuana from indoor grow sites continued to outpace seizures from outdoor grow sites. Indoor and outdoor cultivators continue to develop innovative techniques and schemes to avoid detection by law enforcement.

Despite these evasion efforts, county and local law enforcement agencies in 49 of Florida’s 67 counties reported the detection and dismantling of 582 indoor and outdoor grow sites, resulting in the eradication of 31,517 marijuana plants, 519 arrests, and the forfeiture of $245,998 in assets.

As in 2013, Miami-Dade Police Department continued to lead the state with indoor grow sites (124) and indoor grow plants (5,631). Holmes County Sheriff’s Office led the state with outdoor grow sites (59) and outdoor grow plants (7,704).

PROGRAM CONTACTS

OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT COORDINATOR MAJOR DANIEL WILLIAMSON 2005 APALACHEE PARKWAY, SUITE B TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399 PHONE: (850) 245-1300 EMAIL: DANIEL.WILLIAMSON@FRESHFROMFLORIDA.COM FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT: SUMMER WILLIAMS PHONE: (850) 245-1324 TOLL-FREE: (800) 342-5869 EMAIL: SUMMER.WILLIAMS@FRESHFROMFLORIDA.COM DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA) SPECIAL AGENT MATTHEW VICKERS TALLAHASSEE RESIDENT OFFICE 1510 COMMONWEALTH BUSINESS DRIVE TALLAHASSEE, FL 32303 PHONE: (850) 350-7309

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HISTORICAL DATA

YEAR GROW SITES PLANTS ERADICATED

ARRESTS ESTIMATED VALUE

1981 No Record 48,206 61 $18.0 Million 1982 341 43,500 149 $16.3 Million 1983 903 139,707 286 $52.3 Million 1984 769 106,645 426 $40.0 Million 1985 1,272 104,281 329 $39.0 Million 1986 1,332 97,408 333 $36.5 Million 1987 1,498 96,842 335 $36.3 Million 1988 1,568 134,794 358 $50.4 Million 1989 1,153 79,176 259 $79.1 Million 1990 1,148 92,901 330 $92.9 Million 1991 1,801 105,066 690 $105.1 Million 1992 1,893 243,452 784 $243.4 Million 1993 2,033 145,384 696 $145.3 Million 1994 1,406 99,862 501 $99.8 Million 1995 1,260 102,075 437 $102.0 Million 1996 1,059 96,661 362 $96.6 Million 1997 1,144 108,178 477 $108.1 Million 1998 604 55,311 404 $55.3 Million 1999 573 56,838 466 $56.8 Million 2000 611 32,219 408 $32.2 Million 2001 551 28,206 325 $28.2 Million 2002 550 37,897 347 $37.8 Million 2003 622 39,427 409 $39.4 Million 2004 488 28,006 334 $28.4 Million 2005 668 74,863 498 $74.8 Million 2006 819 47,665 639 * $138.6 Million 2007 1,207 83,814 1,078 * $268.5 Million 2008 1,321 94,700 1,223 * $287.2 Million 2009 1,158 65,488 1,086 * $200.9 Million 2010 1,139 51,366 1,047 * $160.8 Million 2011 961 46,605 846 * $138.6 Million 2012 772 37,388 723 * $114.7 Million 2013 850 47,028 764 * $120.8 Million 2014 582 31,517 519 * $95.5 Million

GRAND TOTAL 34,056 2,702,476 17,929 $3.2 Billion

*Figures compiled using a base of $3,500 average per pound for domestic indoor grown marijuana; $775 average per pound for outdoor grown marijuana, based on average wholesale amounts published in the United States Department Of Justice National Illicit Drug Prices Bulletin - June 2008.

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2014 STATISTICS BY COUNTY

INDOOR GROWS OUTDOOR GROWS

COUNTY SITES PLANTS ARRESTS FIREARMS SEIZED

SITES PLANTS ARRESTS FIREARMS SEIZED

ALACHUA 8 415 6 9 3 228 2 0 BAKER 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

BAY 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 BRADFORD 1 5 1 5 0 0 0 0 BREVARD 5 269 0 0 3 23 2 2 BROWARD 11 1,047 8 2 0 0 0 0 CALHOUN 0 0 0 0 1 14 0 0

CHARLOTTE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 CITRUS 8 557 7 2 5 66 2 0

CLAY 3 81 3 4 2 95 2 0 COLLIER 4 29 3 0 3 86 2 0

COLUMBIA 3 108 5 5 9 268 11 0 DESOTO 1 22 2 0 2 5 2 0

DIXIE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 DUVAL 15 490 12 12 3 4 0 0

ESCAMBIA 2 27 2 0 5 63 0 0 FLAGLER 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 FRANKLIN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 GADSDEN 0 0 0 0 1 16 0 0 GILCHRIST 3 20 4 0 0 0 0 0

GLADES 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 GULF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

HAMILTON 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 HARDEE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 HENDRY 1 113 2 0 1 7 0 0

HERNANDO 9 611 12 0 4 161 2 0 HIGHLANDS 4 145 2 0 0 0 0 0

HILLSBOROUGH 29 1,368 37 14 0 0 0 0 HOLMES 0 0 0 0 59 7,704 0 0

INDIAN RIVER 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 JACKSON 0 0 0 0 7 52 3 0

JEFFERSON 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LAFAYETTE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LAKE 3 80 1 0 3 11 3 0

(Continued Page 6)

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2014 STATISTICS BY COUNTY (Continued)

INDOOR GROWS OUTDOOR GROWS

COUNTY SITES PLANTS ARRESTS FIREARMS SEIZED

SITES PLANTS ARRESTS FIREARMS SEIZED

LEE 12 1,178 16 1 0 0 0 0 LEON 10 360 8 0 0 0 0 0 LEVY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LIBERTY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 MADISON 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 MANATEE 2 293 1 0 0 0 0 0 MARION 8 792 9 7 9 60 8 0 MARTIN 6 80 7 2 1 1 1 0

MIAMI-DADE 124 5,631 171 30 2 357 5 0 MONROE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NASSAU 1 7 2 0 8 52 3 15

OKALOOSA 2 20 2 0 2 14 0 0 OKEECHOBEE 3 122 3 0 2 3 0 0

ORANGE 9 1,119 9 3 1 11 0 0 OSCEOLA 3 228 5 0 2 39 2 0

PALM BEACH 15 1,185 12 7 0 0 0 0 PASCO 24 2,025 25 3 3 30 3 0

PINELLAS 8 381 10 7 13 176 6 0 POLK 3 135 5 1 0 0 0 0

PUTNAM 2 27 2 0 10 188 4 4 SANTA ROSA 3 171 4 0 10 113 2 1 SARASOTA 11 332 14 0 1 4 1 1 SEMINOLE 1 232 7 1 5 47 2 1 ST. JOHNS 1 6 0 2 1 63 0 0 ST. LUCIE 1 21 2 0 0 0 0 0 SUMTER 1 15 0 0 0 0 0 0

SUWANNEE 2 38 4 0 0 0 0 0 TAYLOR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UNION 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

VOLUSIA 18 985 17 5 2 6 0 0 WAKULLA 2 123 2 0 1 3 0 0 WALTON 1 64 1 1 7 421 4 2

WASHINGTON 1 30 2 0 6 134 0 0

TOTAL 384 20,987 447 123 198 10,530 72 26

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2014 REIMBURSEMENT STATISTICS

AGENCY

COUNTY

REQUESTED

REIMBURSED

%

Alachua CSO Alachua $4,000.00 $4,000.00 100% Bay CSO*** Bay $24,050.00 $24,050.00 100%

Bradford CSO Bradford $250.00 $250.00 100% Brevard CSO Brevard $2,000.00 $1,250.00 63% Broward CSO Broward $3,750.00 $3,750.00 100%

Calhoun CSO** Calhoun $2,750.00 $2,750.00 100% Cape Coral PD Lee $3,000.00 $3,000.00 100%

Citrus CSO Citrus $3,750.00 $3,750.00 100% Clay CSO Clay $1,500.00 $1,500.00 100%

Collier CSO Collier $2,000.00 $2,000.00 100% Columbia CSO Columbia $4,000.00 $4,000.00 100%

Daytona Beach PD Volusia $250.00 $250.00 100% Desoto CSO** Desoto $1,500.00 $1,500.00 100% Escambia CSO Escambia $1,750.00 $1,750.00 100% Gadsden CSO Gadsden $250.00 $250.00 100% Gilchrist CSO Gilchrist $750.00 $750.00 100% Hendry CSO Hendry $1,000.00 $1,000.00 100%

Hernando CSO Hernando $5,500.00 $5,000.00 91% Hialeah PD Miami-Dade $1,050.00 $250.00 24%

Highlands CSO Highlands $1,812.22 $1,250.00 69% Hillsborough CSO Hillsborough $11,250.00 $11,000.00 98% Holmes CSO*** Holmes $35,000.00 $35,000.00 100% Jackson CSO** Jackson $8,000.00 $8,000.00 100% Jacksonville SO Duval $5,000.00 $4,250.00 85%

Lake CSO Lake $1,750.00 $1,500.00 86% Lakeland PD Polk $3,734.57 $750.00 20%

Largo PD Pinellas $250.00 $250.00 100% Lee CSO Lee $3,230.00 $3,000.00 93% Leon CSO Leon $1,250.00 $1,250.00 100%

Manatee CSO Manatee $1,500.00 $1,500.00 100% Marion CSO** Marion $3,238.00 $3,000.00 93% Martin CSO Martin $1,750.00 $1,750.00 100%

Miami-Dade PD Miami-Dade $59,890.00 $133,305.00 100% Nassau CSO Nassau $3,250.00 $3,250.00 100%

(Continued Page 8)

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2014 REIMBURSEMENT STATISTICS (Continued)

AGENCY

COUNTY

REQUESTED

REIMBURSED

%

North Port PD Sarasota $4,000.00 $4,000.00 100% Okaloosa CSO Okaloosa $1,250.00 $1,000.00 80%

Okeechobee CSO Okeechobee $2,500.00 $2,250.00 90% Orange CSO Orange $4,500.00 $4,500.00 100%

Osceola CSO** Osceola $2,750.00 $2,750.00 100% Oviedo PD Seminole $250.00 $250.00 100%

Palm Beach CSO Palm Beach $7,000.00 $7,000.00 100% Pasco CSO Pasco $12,000.00 $11,000.00 92%

Pembroke Pines PD Broward $1,500.00 $1,500.00 100% Pinellas CSO Pinellas $5,000.00 $3,750.00 75%

Pinellas Park PD Pinellas $750.00 $750.00 100% Polk CSO Polk $500.00 $0.00 0%

Port Orange PD Volusia $750.00 $750.00 100% Port St. Lucie PD St. Lucie $250.00 $250.00 100%

Putnam CSO Putnam $3,250.00 $3,250.00 100% Santa Rosa CSO Santa Rosa $3,750.00 $3,500.00 93% Seminole CSO Seminole $2,000.00 $2,000.00 100% St. Cloud PD Osceola $250.00 $250.00 100%

St. Johns CSO St. Johns $2,779.09 $2,779.09 100% St. Petersburg PD Pinellas $834.92 $834.92 100%

Sumter CSO Sumter $250.00 $250.00 100% Suwannee CSO Suwannee $500.00 $500.00 100% Tallahassee PD Leon $2,000.00 $750.00 38%

Volusia CSO Volusia $7,797.15 $9,102.68 100% Wakulla CSO Wakulla $1,250.00 $0.00 0% Walton CSO Walton $2,750.00 $2,750.00 100%

Washington CSO** Washington $5,500.00 $5,500.00 100% Winter Springs PD Seminole $750.00 $750.00 100%

FDACS-FFS*** $40,374.88 $40,374.88 100%

TOTALS:

$321,040.83

$382,446.57

** Portions of reimbursements made to these counties were for outdoor aerial investigations. *** These agencies were reimbursed for aerial support during the Outdoor Cannabis Investigations School.

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CONCLUDING REMARKS Florida’s 2014 Domestic Marijuana Eradication Program concluded with impressive statistics in all categories as reported to the DEA.

An evaluation of the training programs offered by the DME Program continues to indicate that training in aerial detection methods and indoor grow investigations must continue in order to keep pace with illicit marijuana cultivation activity in the state.

With the coordinated efforts of Florida’s law enforcement communities, the mission to suppress this internal drug problem was a success in 2014. With Florida’s continued commitment by local, state, and federal law enforcement, 2015 will prove to have a substantial impact on domestically cultivated marijuana.

DOMESTIC MARIJUANA ERADICATION PROGRAM Information can be found at the following web address: http://www.FreshFromFlorida.com/Divisions-Offices/ Agricultural-Law-Enforcement/Business-Services/Marijuana- Eradication

THE 2014 DOMESTIC MARIJUANA ERADICATION PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT IS PRODUCED BY:

OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

COLONEL JERRY BRYAN, DIRECTOR 2005 APALACHEE PARKWAY SUITE B, TERRY L. RHODES BUILDING TALLAHASSEE, FL 32301 TELEPHONE: (850) 245-1300 TOLL FREE: 1-800-342-5869

FDACS-P-02032