Mayor Brown Proposes New Special US Assistant Attorney Role to Target Narcotics Prosecution in City of Spokane

Erin Hut, Communications Director, 509.625.6740

Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 10:18 a.m.

A proposal put forward by Mayor Lisa Brown would combine federal and city resources to establish a new Special US 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 in collaboration with the Eastern District of Washington US Attorney's Office. The US Attorney's Office will provide office space, training, day-to-day supervision, and will assist with recruitment, interviewing and identifying successful candidates.

Developing this role in partnership with the US Attorney's Office ensures that the City will have close relationships with federal agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and have enhanced 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."

"The City of Spokane and the U.S. Attorney's Office share the same goal - a safer, stronger community for all who call Spokane home. The dramatic increase in the use of fentanyl in the last few years has destroyed countless lives," stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref, who serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of Washington. U.S. Attorney Waldref continued, "We stand prepared to work with our federal and local law enforcement partners to address the damage being done to our communities. Working together, we are better equipped to address the fentanyl crisis - bringing justice to purveyors of poison in our neighborhoods and sparing community members and families from the tragedy of deadly drug poisonings. I am grateful for our partnership with the City of Spokane, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor's team on critical public safety projects for our community."

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