Special Investigations Group receives significant award

WAUKEGAN – Sheriff John Idleburg announced the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group has been honored with the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area’s 2024 Initiative of the Year Award.

Idleburg, Lt. Jacob Novak (SIG’s commander) and Sgt. Matthew Harmon (SIG’s assistant commander) received the recognition Dec. 3 in Chicago.

The award was presented at a ceremony by Chicago HIDTA’s executive board.

SIG was selected from the Chicago HIDTA initiatives for its success in recently disrupting or dismantling nine drug trafficking organizations, making more than 50 arrests, seizing nearly 200 illegally possessed firearms and seizing significant quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs.

“To say I am proud of not only my staff assigned to SIG, as well as our local and federal partners assigned, is an understatement,” Idleburg said in a news release. “This team of proactive professionals works extremely hard to identify and arrest drug traffickers, gun traffickers, human traffickers and some of the most violent offenders in society. They are doing incredible work to keep Lake County safe and I am very grateful for the recognition from HIDTA’s executive board.”

Lake County was awarded HIDTA designation in 2020. At that time, SIG showed its ability to disrupt and dismantle organized crime, conduct long-term investigations focused on drug trafficking leading to arrests and convictions and partner with municipal as well as federal agencies to combat drug trafficking.

Since obtaining HIDTA designation, SIG has been able to accomplish far more with HIDTA’s support.

HIDTA operates under the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. The program provides federal support to law enforcement agencies in designated counties with coordination, equipment, technology and additional resources to combat drug production and trafficking.

Partner agencies involved in SIG are the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Chicago Field Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Highland Park Police Department, Park City Police Department, Round Lake Police Department, Round Lake Beach Police Department, Round Lake Park Police Department, Wauconda Police Department, Waukegan Police Department, Winthrop Harbor Police Department and Zion Police Department.