NCJ Number
165123
Date Published
1994
Length
79 pages
Annotation
This assessment of Multijurisdictional Drug Task Forces (MDTF) in Mississippi focuses on their primary objective, which is to decrease the magnitude of drug-related crimes in the State.
Abstract
Strategically located around the State, these task forces are the specialized units charged with controlling drug sales, manufacturing, use, and abuse in the target areas. To determine the MDTF's impact on drug-related crimes, the evaluators designed a study to obtain at least three distinct categories of performance measures. These performance measures were in the form of quarterly task force reports, a survey of residents in the target areas, and a survey of task force officers. It was hypothesized that residents in areas where MDTF's efforts were successful would respond favorably when asked to address issues that included the likelihood of getting arrested for selling drugs, rating of the police, concerns about personal and property safety, safety of their community, drug-related crime trends, and awareness of task force activities. The findings from this survey indicate that Mississippi residents believe drug-related crime in their communities is declining; residents also feel their communities are either safer or as safe as they were several years ago. A survey of task force officers shows that the overwhelming majority of the officers believe that drug seizures are increasing. Still, data show a decline in the prosecution of drug dealers and in the arrests of high-level drug dealers. There should be more emphasis on prosecution resources and on the arrest of high-level drug dealers as well as street-level operants. Overall, however, the evaluation concludes that the task forces are decreasing the amount of drugs that are being dispersed in the State, and the task forces are perceived by residents as deterrents to crime. Monthly performance measures are discussed for each of the seven task forces. 56 tables and 11 figures