NCJ Number
69710
Journal
Police Review Volume: 88 Issue: 4560 Dated: (June 20, 1980) Pages: 1300-1304
Date Published
1980
Length
5 pages
Annotation
A British official describes the drug enforcement situation as he saw it during a 4-week tour of seven cities in the U.S. and compares the U.S. drug problem to that of the United Kingdom (U.K.).
Abstract
Discussion of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) work in New York City centers on the duties of airport and Customs officials, the Civil Forfeiture Statute, and a Task Force that includes DEA agents, New York City Police Department officers, members of the Internal Revenue Service, and Customs. Descriptions of efforts in Washingtron, D.C., to curb illicit drug trafficking highlight the Task Forces of the DEA operating in close contact with the Washington police. Customs activities in Miami are elaborated, with attention to the work of the Coast Guard, the airplanes equipped with Forwards Looking Infra Red (FLIR) equipment which detects aircraft at night by picking up the glow from their engines, and the problems created by immigrants' smuggling. The border town of El Paso, Tex., is considered as the Intelligence Center of the DEA. Special attention is given to the policy academy in Los Angeles and its concentration on training recruits to catch major drug traffickers. The duties of deputy sheriffs in San Francisco are examined as they relate to drug enforcement. The narcotics division of Chicago is briefly discussed. Finally, comparisons of drug enforcement efforts are made between the United Kindgom and the U.S. and cautions are expressed regarding lessons that the U.K. can learn from the U.S. The author recommends creation of a National Task Force in the U.K. devoted solely to combatting drug trafficking.