NCJ Number
165121
Date Published
1995
Length
81 pages
Annotation
This report outlines what local law enforcement is doing and would like to be doing to reduce substance abuse in Washington State; the report also contains descriptions of 22 substance abuse reduction programs that involve law enforcement.
Abstract
Data were obtained through telephone interviews with 138 law enforcement representatives in 39 counties and 99 cities during the period from February through May 1995. A portion of the survey focused on what local law enforcement is doing to reduce substance abuse in the States. Findings show that drug task forces cover, to some extent, 98 percent of the State's population. Regarding prevention, almost all of the State's fifth and sixth graders live in jurisdictions where DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) training is provided to at least some classes. Regarding community-oriented policing, school resource officer programs operate in jurisdictions where 58 percent of the State's youth live; 44 percent of the State's population lives in jurisdictions with neighborhood resource officer programs. The remaining section of the survey focused on what local law enforcement would like to be doing to reduce substance abuse in the State. Over half (59 percent) of the law enforcement officers responding said they would like their jurisdiction to be more involved in substance abuse prevention, and 54 percent said they would like to increase their substance abuse law enforcement efforts. Twenty-three percent said they would like to try a different way of relating to the citizenry through community policing efforts. Seven percent of the officers interviewed wanted changes in the criminal justice system. Appended tables of interview responses