NCJ Number
144544
Date Published
1994
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Based largely on the authors' personal contacts and interviews, this paper considers the nature of the problem of police illicit substance abuse and policy issues for police employee drug control.
Abstract
Although no published research documents the extent of illicit substance abuse by police officers, it is reasonable to assume that the problem is more extensive than most police executives are willing to acknowledge. The authors' research indicates that drug-related problems among law enforcement personnel have at least two dimensions: increasing police corruption related to drug trafficking and police officer drug use as a recreational activity. Officers who are apparently most susceptible to drug-related corruption work in jurisdictions where the drug trade, notably as a trafficking distribution center, is particularly pervasive. The consistent theme of officer drug-related corruption is the influence of large amounts of money. The more significant problem, however, is officer recreational use of illicit drugs, because of the greater number of officers involved. Also, such use may plant the seeds of corruption. In cases where drug abuse has been documented, there are indications that officers have a "drug of choice." Marijuana is apparently the most used drug, and cocaine is second. Officers or their attorneys typically cite stress and job assignment as major factors in police substance use. If police departments are to counter officer substance abuse, there are three central issues that must be addressed: identification of the drug user, disposition of the drug user, and a consensus between police management and police unions about how to address the problem. This paper discusses these issues in terms of the development of an effective departmental strategy for reducing police drug use. 30 references and 5 study questions