NCJ Number
165124
Date Published
1992
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This report on evaluation findings from five site visits to multijurisdictional drug task forces focuses on factors that contribute to task force effectiveness and those that inhibit it.
Abstract
Six factors were found to contribute to task force effectiveness. One factor is the perception and acknowledgment of a serious drug problem in the area; and another factor is the involvement of a prime mover, that is, someone who is visible and has a top level policy position. A third factor is supervision by a knowledgeable and energetic officer who is committed to the task force, and a fourth is a nonbureaucratic organizational structure. Other factors that contribute to task force effectiveness are an organizational climate that facilitates learning and a cooperative attitude from the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Four factors that pose obstacles to an effective task force are territoriality that inhibits interagency cooperation, a lack of trained personnel, distance, and failure to perceive a drug problem in the area. The three general themes of the analysis are that the multijurisdictional drug task force is a special unit with a distinct role in the community; resource management is a key benefit of task force involvement; and prosecutor involvement enhances task force effectiveness.