By By Laura Courson, Staff Writer
United States Attorney David York along with Michael Godwin, District Attorney for the 21st Judicial Circuit, announced the formation of the Project I.C.E. Task Force in Escambia County on Monday.
Project I.C.E. (Isolating Criminal Elements) is the United States Attorney's Office's handgun violence reduction program and is part of Project Safe neighborhoods. Officers of the 21st Judicial Circuit Drug task Force will receive special training through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms which will allow them to expedite the prosecution of cases on both federal and state levels.
The Project I.C.E. site in Escambia County is the third specific target area in the Southern District of Alabama. The other two sites are Selma and Moblie.
The Project I.C.E. program will provide training opportunities for officers to assist them in better charging offenders with handgun violations, as well as providing advice on how to rid the area of handguns.
The project was announced Monday at a press conference.
Officers were also on hand to learn about the program, as well as learn some tactics on ridding the area of Handguns.