In 2021, the five-member Anti-Crime Team seized 73 weapons, more than $275,000 in drugs and $112,000 in cash, and had 157 felony arrests
Within the Huntsville Police Department, there is a special group of officers focused on taking down organized crime.
In 2021, the five-member Anti-Crime Team alone took 73 weapons off the streets, seized more than $275,000 worth of drugs and $112,000 in cash, and had 157 felony arrests, according to new data from the police department.
ACT formed in late 2017 and is comprised of uniformed officers under the department's Criminal Investigations Division. They work with the department’s North Alabama Multi-Agency Crime Center. The officers are focused on taking down the drug dealers and people responsible for large criminal enterprises operating within the Rocket City, as well as low-level drug-related complaints.
Sgt. Karl Kissich leads the team. He said they are dealing with some of the most dangerous individuals in the city on a daily basis.
Huntsville Police Sgt. Karl Kissich leads the city's Anti-Crime Team.
“The officers on the team aren’t tasked with answering calls for service, so they can spend their days locating fugitives and increasing the police department’s presence in various areas in the city,†Kissich said.
In 2020, the team became an attachment of the North Alabama HIDTA Drug Task Force. The move made sense, Kissich said, because the two groups investigate criminals who commit similar crimes. The Huntsville Police Department says its current drug-related case clearance rate is nearly 85% and credits the work of special operations units like ACT for this high clear rate.
ACT is able to work directly with federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“We want to send a message to anyone who is committing crime in our city that we are paying attention,†Kissich said. “We want to make sure everyone feels safe in our community, and those who want to break the law know they’re not welcome here in Huntsville.â€
The Huntsville Police Citizens Advisory Council will host a meeting 5:30–7:30 p.m. July 12 in the Oakwood University Community Health Action Center, 1863 Sparkman Drive. There, ACT officers will present information about their activities and answer questions from the public.
