NCJ Number
250103
Date Published
February 2012
Length
87 pages
Annotation
This report by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) Office of Audit, Assessment, and Management (OAAM) presents the findings and recommendations of the OAAM's performance analysis of the COPS Office's administration of grants under the Methamphetamine (Meth) Initiative.
Abstract
In 1998, Congress established the Meth Initiative under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. Administrative responsibility for the Meth Initiative was assigned to the COPS Office. The purpose of the Meth Initiative was to combat meth production, distribution, and use through funding of enforcement, training, and prevention activities nationwide. From July 2009 through May 2010, OAAM reviewed the history of the Meth Initiative; identified and analyzed program performance measures and performance data; selected a sample of grantees from which to identify program accomplishments, promising practices, and areas for program improvement; and reviewed the COPS Office's implementation of recommendations from the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding grantee performance. OAAM examined the COPS Office's implementation of select OIG recommendations to assess its overall performance measurement activities. OAAM's assessment identified issues that should be addressed by the COPS Office to improve its administration of the Meth Initiative. These issues are in two broad categories: 1) managing external communications with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and with Congress and 2) improving internal oversight processes. OAAM believes that instituting the recommendations associated with these two issues could improve the COPS Office's oversight of Meth Initiative funding and may produce better information on program successes. 5 figures, 4 tables, and appended methodological materials and the COPS Office's response to this report