Submitted by: Josette Ford, San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, Senior Policy Advisor

In 2023, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office launched the Contraband and Narcotics Interdiction Team (CNIT) as a pilot program to combat narcotics and contraband entering the jails. Due to its success, CNIT became a permanent program in July 2024. It operates out of the San Diego Central Jail, Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility, and the Vista Detention Facility.

Each CNIT team is led by a sergeant and staffed by specially trained deputies focused on intercepting contraband and narcotics. Deputies conduct thorough screenings, including interviews, detailed criminal history reviews, pat-downs, and body scans. CNIT deputies work directly with detectives from the Sheriff's Detention Investigations Unit (DIU) to disseminate any intelligence obtained related to drugs.

In 2024, CNIT conducted 6,892 screenings and discovered 754 instances of contraband, including 516 drug seizures, 32 weapon seizures, and 206 other items. Notably, overdose incidents have dramatically decreased , from 83 in 2023 to 25 in 2024 - a 65% reduction.  

This success underscores the significant impact of the CNIT program in improving safety and reducing contraband within detention facilities. This program was recently implemented in the Sheriff's Court Services Bureau for arrestees attending court appearances.