NCJ Number
118295
Date Published
1988
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The Department of Defense's (DOD) compliance with drug law enforcement requirements in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 is assessed.
Abstract
Section 1243 of the National Defense Authorization Act requires DOD to report annually to Congress, listing assistance and equipment it proposes to make available to civil drug law enforcement agencies and providing a plan for assistance. In its list to Congress, DOD must identify specifics, such as surveillance equipment suitable for detecting air, land, and sea drug smuggling activities; communications equipment; support by the Armed Forces Reserves; intelligence information on foreign drug production and shipments; aircraft and marine vessels suitable for detection, interception, tracking, and seizure; and land vehicles appropriate to support operations by civilian law enforcement agencies. Section 1243 also requires that DOD convene a conference of all heads of Federal drug law enforcement agencies after it submits its drug assistance report to Congress to determine how to distribute assistance. The 1988 conference revealed that many agencies were unaware of or did not follow procedures for requesting assistance. Many conference representatives did not request assistance, indicating among other reasons that their agencies' needs were being met by DOD through other request processes or that they had no requirements for additional DOD support. Section 1243 requires DOD to enter into memorandums of agreement with requesting agencies, yet no such agreements were entered into during fiscal year 1988-1989. The National Defense Authorization Act and DOD conference recommendations are appended.