June 30, 2006   Contact:   Jack Killorin

LEADERSHIP CHANGE AT ATLANTA HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREA

The Executive Board of the Atlanta HIDTA has named John C. "Jack" Killorin to replace retiring HIDTA Director Ronald J. Caffrey effective July 1, 2006. The Atlanta HIDTA, one of 28 in the United States, was formed in 1995 and Mr. Caffrey has been the director since July 23, 1997. The Atlanta HIDTA is a multi-agency task force funded by grants from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and is focused on dismantling significant drug trafficking organizations and addressing attendant criminal activity in the greater Atlanta area. Funding for 2006 is $3.8 million, administered through the Atlanta Police Department and DeKalb County Police Department. 

The HIDTA Director is responsible for administering the HIDTA program and representing the member Executive Board with ONDCP.

Mr. Killorin comes to the position after having retired in November 2002 as the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). He began with ATF in March 1976. From 2003 to 2005, he worked as the Vice President, Global Security for Thomson Prometric of Baltimore, Maryland.

Mr. Caffrey became director of the Atlanta HIDTA after serving 32 years with the Drug Enforcement Administration. He retired from DEA as the Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Division.

Both Mr. Killorin and Mr. Caffrey were members of the Senior Executive Service.

George Coleman, Chief of the Fulton County Police Department and Chairperson of the Atlanta HIDTA Executive Board states, "We are grateful to Ron for his leadership over the last 9 years and pleased to welcome Jack back to the law enforcement community in this region. HIDTA is a unique and vital collaborative effort of local, state and Federal authorities focused on the drug trafficking organizations operating in this metropolitan area."

The members of the Executive Board of the Atlanta HIDTA are Thurbert Baker, the Attorney General of the State of Georgia; George Coleman, Chief of the Fulton County Police Department (Executive Board Chairperson); Paul Howard, District Attorney of Fulton County; Vernon Keenan, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; Gwendolyn Keyes, District Attorney of DeKalb County; Vanessa McLemore, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Nicholas Marinelli, Acting Chief of the DeKalb County Police Department; David Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern Judicial District of Georgia; Richard Pennington, Chief of the Atlanta Police Department; Lieutenant Colonel Michael Scholes of the Georgia National Guard; Kenneth Smith, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Division, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Rebecca Sparkman, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Division, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division and Sherri Strange, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (Executive Board Vice Chairperson).

763 Juniper Street, NE ! Atlanta, GA 30308-1309 ph (404) 815-4400 ! fx (404) 815-5540