NCJ Number
89172
Date Published
1981
Length
28 pages
Annotation
The drug problem in West Germany cannot be solved by law enforcement alone, although the police play a key role in the repression and prevention aspects of this complex social problem.
Abstract
Coordination and cooperation are imperative in police investigations, particularly regarding information exchange in interstate and international drug smuggling cases. Police must also work closely with prosecutors, supplying them with the necessary evidence for criminal processing or grounds for diversion. Since most cocaine, heroin, and cannabis are illegally smuggled into West Germany, an important agency with which police must coordinate their activities is the customs and border control authority. The principal enforcement thrust should be aimed at drug traffickers, while contact with abusers should primarily facilitate diversion through cooperation with treatment, youth, and family assistance agencies. The police should also serve as a source of information and referral to parents, teachers, and schools, providing advice on abuse symptoms, characteristics, and patterns of the local market, as well as intervention approaches and referral to assistance agencies. Police relations with the media should be geared to promoting public education on the dangers and criminal implications of drug use. About one-fourth of drug-related offenses in West Germany are perpetrated by foreigners, and therefore agencies dealing with foreign residents should also have effective liaison with police. The two major thrusts of national antidrug policy should aim for reduction of domestic demand through effective social policies and for cooperation from the governments of supplier countries through financial aid and programs discouraging the production of opiates and other illicit substances. Eight references are provided.