Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Monday that more than $1.4 million in grants had been awarded to “continue the fight to reduce illegal drug use in the state by arresting those who buy or sell illegal drugs or falsely obtain prescription drugs,” according to a press release.

The money will be distributed to the seven regional offices of the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force, under the leadership of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), which receives separate funding to assist in administering the task force.

The task force offices were established in January of last year and are made up of officers in local law enforcement agencies – Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson was sworn in as a member of the task force when it was first established – while the task force itself consists of 93 law enforcement officers representing 46 state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies.

“We must combat illegal and illegally obtained drugs that rob so many people of productive lives and that destroy families,” Ivey said in the press release. “I am pleased to support this task force and I am grateful to the men and women who risk their lives to take drugs off our streets.”

Now in its second year, the task force has been involved in 991 drug cases resulting in more than 600 arrests – agents have seized more than 500 pounds of marijuana, 228 pounds of methamphetamine and 11 pounds of heroin and other opioids, along with various other drugs and more than 200 firearms.

Each of the seven task force offices, which cover between eight and 12 counties, though officers have power in other jurisdictions, received $204,100 in grant funding, which will be used to cover overtime and operational expenses and equipment purchases.

The funds, which were made available by the U.S. Justice Department, are being administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), which administers a number of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.

“ADECA values its partnership with ALEA and the regional drug task forces who are making a difference in our communities,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell.

At the time of his swearing in, Jackson praised the task force for being a way for communities to connect with others “to tackle all these issues of drugs, gangs and guns” and its ability to provide “more manpower, more equipment, more everything to deal with these issues.”

“One good thing about having my office involved is to identify the problems we’re having in Dallas County and some of my other counties in my circuit,” Jackson said at the time. “I’m able to let them know all these issues we’re having with gangs. It’s easy to call other agents and agencies in to help fight our problems…Selma is one of the big issues and places to tackle from the perspective of law enforcement across the state.”