Gov. Bob Riley has awarded a $27,386 grant to the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force in a push to investigate, arrest and prosecute drug dealers.

The grant supplements a previous grant of $113,797 that Riley awarded earlier this year.

“An influx of illegal drugs into a community increases crime and threatens the safety of residents,” Riley said in a news release. “I commend that task force’s dedication to the safety of Shelby County’s residents.”

The task force was created in 2004 and consists of multiple law enforcement agencies, including Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabaster, Harpersville and Montevallo police departments. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office provides a full-time prosecutor to advise investigators and prosecute drug offenders.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Justice.