TULSA COUNTY, Okla. — The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) announced a new Drug Interdiction Unit after receiving a $300,000 grant.

The sheriff and district attorney said this money will help them not only attack drug trafficking but also help those suffering from substance abuse.

FOX23 spoke to both of them on Monday.

There’s still a lot to hash out regarding the new unit in the coming months.

However, the sheriff and DA said they now have the money to initiate this change in the county, but they need the state legislature and other law enforcement to step up to the plate with them.

“This interdiction unit is just part of our overall plan of prevention, enforcement, and treatment that we are putting into place to address mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness in Tulsa, Oklahoma,” Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado said.

Regalado, alongside District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, announced the $300,000 grant to the department on Monday afternoon.

The money comes from state legislation passed last May that provided the state attorney general with $18 million to distribute to every sheriff’s office across the state.

“I’m hopeful that if you’re one of those folks that’s out there that thinks they’re getting away with dealing drugs. I’m hopeful that this interdiction unit is going to start hunting you down,” Kunzweiler said.

Both Kunzweiler and Regalado agreed to use the money toward attacking illegal narcotics and substance abuse.

“The sheriff’s office acknowledges the fact that we can’t incarcerate our way out of this drug crisis, by simply arresting addicts. We are going to dedicate our enforcement on the manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs. This grant provides adequate resources and support to combat and disrupt the production and trafficking of illegal drugs,” Regalado said.

The new unit is expected to become active later this year. Regalado said more planning and treatment will be announced in the coming weeks.

However, they hope the new interdiction unit will change the tone of how overdose cases are handled and prosecuted and will lead to driving the drug crisis out of Tulsa.

“When we get a report that somebody’s overdosed, I’m hopeful that law enforcement will start and first responders will look at that not as an OD scene, but as a crime scene because somebody’s illegally delivered a drug that resulted in that person’s death. If they can find out who delivered it, I’m going after you for homicide,” Kunzweiler said.

Both the DA and sheriff are calling for state lawmakers to ensure drug charges are considered felonies and not just misdemeanors.

That was a change made by lawmakers last spring.

Regalado said it took away consequence and accountability from drug addicts, which he said are cornerstones to recovery.

All 77 counties received at least $150,000 from the assistance grant.

Rogers, Osage, and Wagoner Counties received $300,000 which was the max.

To see how much your local sheriff’s office received, click here.