Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Achieves Record Efficiency in Drug Warrant Processing

Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office
Contact: Dawn Fraylick, Communications Director
Office: +1 (586) 469-5737 
Cell: +1 (586) 842-4421
Email: Dawn.Fraylick@macombgov.org              

September 13, 2024          

Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Achieves Record Efficiency in Drug Warrant Processing

Mount Clemens, Mich. — The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Drug Unit has reached a milestone in efficiency, reducing the number of pending drug warrant requests to an all-time low, according to Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido.

As of yesterday, the office now has just one pending Drug Unit warrant request, a record low, in drug cases. Lucido praised the Drug Unit for its dedication to swiftly processing cases, ensuring that both public safety and rehabilitation efforts are prioritized.

“Our Drug Unit Chief and staff have done an outstanding job in reducing pending warrant requests to an all-time low and ensuring cases are handled justly,” said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido. “The team’s work is essential to keeping dangerous drugs off our streets, bringing offenders to justice, and helping those struggling with addiction access treatment through programs like drug courts.”

The Drug Unit, composed of one full-time and two part-time assistant prosecuting attorneys, focuses on cases involving the distribution, trafficking, and possession of controlled substances. Prosecutors work closely with law enforcement, reviewing evidence from surveillance undercover operations and search warrants to build solid cases against those involved in drug-related criminal activity.

Over the past six years, the number of cases handled by the Drug Unit has remained relatively stable. In 2020, the unit processed 410 cases, followed by 366 in 2021, 450 in 2022, 392 in 2023, and 190 so far in 2024. These figures indicate that case volumes have not fluctuated significantly. However, the more notable improvement is the dramatic reduction in pending warrant requests. With only one outstanding warrant request—the lowest number on record—our new technology is clearly making the process faster and more efficient.

As the opioid crisis continues to impact the county, the faster processing of drug warrants plays a key role in addressing both law enforcement and public health concerns. Assistant prosecutors in Macomb County balance enforcement with rehabilitation by recommending alternatives to incarceration, such as drug courts, for low-level offenders.

Lucido credited the dedication of the Drug Unit Chief and staff, and the adoption of new technology, including a case management system and digital evidence database, for helping the unit streamline its work. These tools, along with an electronic warrant portal have allowed the team to handle cases more effectively.

The improved efficiency, Lucido noted, helps ensure that drug-related cases are pursued swiftly, providing victims with a sense of justice while also supporting community safety.

Greatly improving drug warrant request processing is not the only improvements Prosecutor Lucido has made since January 2021.  Other progress includes:

• Child Support Collections Increased: intensified efforts to collect child support from parents who owe $5,000 or more, successfully collecting $1 million for Macomb County children since last year under this new initiative, with most collections done while avoiding criminal prosecution.
• Macomb County Prosecutor Shatters Glass Ceiling: Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido hired a record number of women as assistant prosecuting attorneys, with women filling 70% of new positions in the past three years. A majority of all assistant prosecuting attorneys handling cases in the county are now women. Lucido also promoted a record number of women to lead special units within the prosecutor’s office. After implementing an objective hiring process, and a commitment to build a diverse and inclusive team to prosecute crimes and reflect the community we serve, Lucido successfully filled all assistant prosecutor positions despite a national shortage, a rarity for an office this size.
• Record Set for Fast Domestic Violence Warrant Processing:  the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office is processing domestic violence warrant requests more efficiently than ever, a significant improvement compared to the years before Lucido took office when warrant requests seeking domestic violence charges for out-of-custody defendants could accumulate.
• Victim services improved 67%: More Macomb County crime victims get more help. The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office increased by ⅔ the percentage of crime victims receiving crucial support services compared to 2020, the year before Lucido took office. More victims now receive victim rights services, including but not limited to assigned victim advocates, help getting restitution, hearing notices or other kinds of support.
• Criminal charge requests for juveniles reviewed faster than ever:  The Juvenile Unit is now authorizing or denying petitions at an unprecedented speed, with the number of pending requests reduced to the lowest levels in recent memory, supporting the broader goal of rehabilitating young offenders and protecting vulnerable children.
• Mental Health Assessments for Gun Crime Defendants: Started a first-in-Michigan policy requiring mental health assessments as part of bond conditions in all gun crime cases, using existing resources to provide an opportunity for mental health services before a suspect gets a chance to commit another crime with a gun.
• Hate Crimes Unit Launched: created a Hate Crimes Unit, securing a vital U.S. Department of Justice grant paying 100% of all its costs, a distinction granted to only 16 organizations nationwide last year. Appointed Michigan's first and only solely-dedicated hate crimes prosecutor at a county level, ensuring robust enforcement and community education.
• The Child Protection Unit accelerates protection for children.  The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Child Protection Unit has reached a major milestone by reducing the number of pending child protection warrant requests to a record low, even as sexual assault cases rise. This unit handles serious cases, including child abuse and sexual assault, ensuring quicker case resolutions without sacrificing the care needed for these sensitive matters.
• Conviction Integrity Unit Exoneration: started this unit to investigate claims of innocence as a result of clear and convincing new evidence that the convicted defendant was not the person who committed the offense, and to review claims of factual innocence based on new evidence such as DNA.  This unit secured an exoneration.
• Major Crimes Unit Launched: Prosecutor Lucido organized the top-ranked assistant prosecutors to focus on major crimes, and train more assistant prosecutors to handle these types of cases.
• Warrant Appeals Unit Launched: Established the state’s first formal prosecutor’s office unit allowing domestic violence victims (and all other crime victims) and law enforcement officials to have a second review of warrant requests where charges were denied.
• Digital Evidence Management Platform Implemented: With over 800,000 pieces of digital evidence, police agencies can now upload digital evidence, which the Prosecutor’s Office reviews, and defense lawyers can download directly, resulting in “discovery” information faster than it’s ever been provided.
• Increased Internships: Hosted over 200 law school and college interns. Court rules permit law student interns to handle court hearings under supervision, which helps the office serve victims and expedite cases.
• Paperless Crime Victim Rights: Implemented the county’s first paperless system for crime victims to request rights and notifications via text message or online.
• Police Training Provided: Regular training sessions by assistant prosecutors are conducted for every police agency in Macomb County, including updates on recent court cases.
• Enhanced Auto Theft Unit: Addressed a surge in attacks on car dealerships and manufacturing plants, prosecuting more continuing criminal enterprise cases in the past two years than in the previous decade, resulting in over $800,000 in restitution.
• Record number of national good government awards received:  The National Association of Counties (NaCO) presented 26 awards to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office during Lucido’s tenure.  The 12 awards received in 2024 is the highest (record) number of awards the organization has ever presented in one year.

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