NCJ Number
122031
Date Published
1990
Length
16 pages
Annotation
An address presented by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Director in January 1990 focuses on NIJ's efforts to establish effective police policies to deal with illicit drug use and its effect on communities.
Abstract
Research is needed to provide hard evidence which gives police managers the authority to make changes in their operations and respond to drug dealing and drug-related violence. Many conditions contributing to a city's drug problem, however, are not the responsibility of police, education, housing, and citizen involvement all have an impact. About 60 percent of NIJ's research funding is directed at various aspects of drug control, examining trends, drug-crime links, the use of civil laws and sanctions against drug dealers and sellers, and effective drug prevention and treatment. A key obstacle to research is obtaining hard data about drug use. The NIJ's Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program is intended to be an objective measure of recent drug use by those who endanger public safety through crime. The DUF program uses voluntary, scientific urinalysis tests to detect drug use among arrested persons, rather than relying on self-reports. DUF test results give a baseline for measuring the results of drug interventions. Over 20 major cities have joined the DUF program. A system called Drug Market Analysis (DMA) will soon be pilot tested by the NIJ. DMA will computerize all information about drug trafficking; mapping and computer printouts will permit police to locate drug hotspots and markets more easily. The NIJ is also evaluating an innovative demand reduction program in Arizona and the Tactical Narcotics Team program in New York City.