NCJ Number
80680
Date Published
1981
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This comprehensive overview of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) describes its operations and organizational structure, as well as the fiscal year 1981 budget, staff characteristics, and support systems.
Abstract
The DEA was created in 1973 as the lead agency for suppression of domestic and foreign illicit drug traffic. A statement of the agency's mission and responsibilities is followed by a brief organizational history. The Geographic Drug Enforcement Program, a system which classifies drug violator cases into four categories, is discussed, along with trends in drug arrests. Additional tables cover heroin retail purity and retail price, drug-related deaths and injuries, and drugs removed from the illicit market. DEA laboratory analysis and training activities are also summarized. The section on controlled substances begins with efforts to monitor compliance with the 1970 Controlled Substances Act which mandates that persons involved in the manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of controlled substances register annually with the DEA. The five-level system which classifies controlled substances according to their abuse potential is outlined, and charts detail the regulatory requirements and Federal trafficking penalties for each level. Organization charts depict DEA headquarters, its major divisions, and regional administration. Maps show the locations of domestic and foreign regional offices, regional forensic laboratories, and internal security field offices. Funding allocations are graphed by program and object class. Other graphs categorize personnel by organization, function, and average grade and show age distribution of special agents. Finally, the report lists the following support systems maintained by the DEA: computerized systems, an automated teleprocessing system, communications, and an aircraft fleet.