The Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Division are participating in a joint law enforcement operation.
Throughout the Nation, ATF participates in formal and informal law enforcement operations, sometimes referred to as a task force. The ATF has established and leads task forces focused on tobacco diversion, firearms, armed narcotics trafficking, explosives incidents, and arson investigation. Task forces provide a number of advantages for all participating agencies, including drawing on the expertise of Federal, State, County, and local law enforcement, which shares resources with all participating agencies, and increases the investigative possibilities available to all parties involved.
To address the need for a standardized program, the ATF has established the Joint Law Enforcement Operations Program (JLEO). The JLEO Program provides accountability and a clear set of policies and procedures that is designed to complement and support all ATF joint law enforcement operations, including task forces and task force officers. The JLEO Program, which uses funding from the Department of Justice (DOJ) Assets Forfeiture Fund, clearly defines and organizes the different types of joint law enforcement operations in which ATF participates. This program assists ATF, DOJ, and all State and local partners in categorizing these various types of operations and unifies joint efforts.
Deputy State Fire Marshal Dexter Hodges was selected to join the program to represent the Office of the State Fire Marshal to support the operation. He was sworn in today at 10:00 a.m. at the United States Marshals Service in Baltimore. The Office of the State Fire Marshal is extremely pleased to partner with the ATF in an effort to better serve Marylanders. Deputy Hodges will be assigned to the ATF’s Arson Field Office in Baltimore.
