Drug Law Enforcement in New South Wales - Policy and Problems (From Exploring the Alcohol and Drug Crime Link - Society's Response, P 215-222, 1986, R A Bush, ed. - See NCJ-102892)

• NCJ Number: 102903
• Author(s): J M Willis
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Description
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

This paper on drug law enforcement in New South Wales discusses formal police objectives, difficulties in drug law enforcement, the relationship between drug abuse and serious crime, and community education.

Abstract

The New South Wales police are committed to enforcing drug laws; preventing the abuse of illicit drugs; detecting, apprehending, and prosecuting drug traffickers and those involved in drug-related crime; cooperating with other police agencies in drug law enforcement; assisting in the treatment of abusers; and adopting innovative measures to deal with the drug problem. Difficulties in drug law enforcement relate to the fact that neither sellers nor users report drug crimes to the police. The police themselves must detect drug crimes through intelligence and surveillance. Users rarely testify against traffickers, and users are often sellers. Cases are therefore difficult to build and to prosecute. Drug abuse is related to violent and predatory crime, and abusers who commit such crimes should be punished under a strict legal model. Community education about drug abuse, particularly as presented in the schools, should not focus on the extremes of drug abuse but on the dangers of tobacco and alcohol use and the likely consequences for young people. The paper projects future patterns in the use of various illicit drugs in Australia. 10 references.