BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- The St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office has been awarded a five-year Howard G. Buffett Foundation grant that will cover costs associated with the county Human Trafficking Task Force.

Legislators signed off on a budget modification to accept the grant funding for the Sheriff's Office during the July 29 finance committee meeting.

Officials say the task force includes local law enforcement, victim service agencies, legal services and outreach entities.

According to Chief Deputy Leighton Filiatrault, the Sheriff's Office will soon hire a second detective, along with a crime analyst.

Filiatrault told legislators the crime analyst position is a desk job of sorts that "has become necessary" with how investigations are conducted now.

Along with those positions, officials will also purchase new computers, software for the crime analyst position.

A senior level investigator and attorney will also be added for the District Attorney's Office, along with a new vehicle.

Filiatrault said a large portion of the funds will also be utilized by Renewal House to support victims.

The grant funds will be administered by the Sheriff's Office with sub-awards to the District Attorney's Office and Renewal House to cover criminal investigations, prosecutions, outreach, legal advocacy, case management, emergency assistance, training coordination and data analysis.

As part of the project, county officials will establish and formalize a St. Lawrence County Human Trafficking Task Force, which will be focused on labor trafficking.

"The goals of this grant are to investigate and prosecute labor trafficking, provide comprehensive services to survivors, build the capacity to identify and respond to labor trafficking in Northern New York, engage in outreach and trust building with vulnerable communities and to also collect and use data," the resolution states.

The grant will cover a five-year period from 2024 through 2029, totaling $7,011,620.

Renewal House will receive $2,260,609 to cover salary, fringes and "other necessary equipment and contractual expenses," while $251,768.54 is considered indirect costs as part of the grant program.

The Sheriff's Office will see the creation of three positions, including an administrative assistant, crime analyst and detective, while the District Attorney's office will see one assistant district attorney position added.

The modification now moves to the full board for final approval on Aug. 5.