Fighting the War Against Drugs: The Word From the Trenches

• NCJ Number: 107821
• Journal: Police Chief Volume: 54 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1987) Pages: 86,89,91-92,94,96-97,99
• Author(s): J D Putnam; A JrVega; R V Degenhart; E Reimer; F Rice; R K Olson; R R Dempsey; D Butler; R A Ferguson; A R Rice; L Chahley
• Editor(s): J R Vaughn
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

Police executives from jurisdictions in the United States and Canada describe their efforts and successes in combating the pervasive problem in drug abuse.

Abstract

In Bloomington, Minn., a special investigation unit focuses on providing seminars for educators and other professionals, undercover operations, and cooperation with other agencies and the private sector. In Brownsville, Tex., efforts have been aimed at stopping trafficking across the United States-Mexican border. Buffalo, N.Y., has switched its emphasis from the use of warrants to undercover operations. Calgary, Canada, has targeted high-level drug traffickers and has recently formed a unit to deal with localized drug problems and drug education. Chicago has emphasized increased local, State, and Federal cooperation and coordination. In Corpus Christi, Tex., drug problems on the community level and large-scale interdiction efforts are being combined. A Tallahassee, Fla., survey reveals the prevalence of crack, and enforcement efforts have targeted this problem. A task force approach is being used to ensure greater interagency cooperation and coordination in tackling drug problems in Mississippi, while Ontario, Canada, has combined street-level enforcement with an aggressive education program.