Non-case Blog Posts
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Law enforcement agencies detail joint focus on major fentanyl dealers
Posted by Harris County District Attorney Office · April 19, 2023 1:00 PM
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Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg Reveals 21% Reduction of Case Backlog
Posted by Harris County District Attorney Office · April 12, 2023 2:56 PM
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg joined with leaders of federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies today to announce strategies to curtail the recent surge in fentanyl overdoses by ensuring prison for those who profit from creating addicts and ensuring treatment for those addicts.
Fentanyl, a powerful opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, caused nearly half of the 1,096 fatal overdoses in Harris County last year and 74% of those among 14- to 25-year-olds. The victims in such cases are often unaware they are taking illicitly manufactured fentanyl because of the increased presence of “counterfeit drugs.”
As a result, Ogg has created a Major Narcotics unit within her office specifically assigned to work major cases with liaisons from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police Department and other law-enforcement agencies, a collaboration she lauded.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced today that recent initiatives by her office have helped lead to a 21% reduction in the criminal case backlog from the COVID-related highs of recent years. As of April 10 – the 100th day of 2023 – the backlog has been cut to 114,242 cases, a reduction of nearly 31,000 from 2021. And the figure continues to fall.
The numbers show the office’s aggressive focus on reducing the case backlog has paid off. Ogg credited her staff for that success and specifically pointed out two recent initiatives that spurred major backlog reductions – the creation of a Homicide Division within the office and implementation of a “triage” program.