NCJ Number
82217
Date Published
1980
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Findings and recommendations are presented from a hearing on the interdiction of drug trafficking in Georgia conducted by the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control of the 96th Congress.
Abstract
Hearing testimony developed in both Macon and Glynco, Ga., indicated that cooperation between all law enforcement agencies at the local, State, and Federal levels has been practically nonexistent in matters of drug law enforcement. Based on the testimony, it is recommended that regular meetings be held between representatives from each facet of law enforcement so that all agencies at every level will be aware of developments in the interdiction of narcotics in Georgia. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) should allow more flexibility in the functions of district directors to allow their adaptation to local circumstances, and the departmental heads of DEA, U.S. Customs, and the U.S. Coast Guard should review and reevaluate their personnel and equipment commitment to the interdiction of narcotic smuggling in Georgia. Further, Congress should examine the feasibility of revising the Posse Comitatus law, so that limited participation by the military in drug law enforcement can be allowed. The Committee also recommends approval of the Secretary of Transportation's request for criminal penalties for pilots willfully violating air safety regulations in carrying narcotics in their aircrafts. Support is also given for proposed Federal Aviation Administration regulations for flight plan filings, the size of aircraft identification numbers, and reporting of the sale of all aircraft. The ease with which smuggler aircraft avoid the Air Defense Identification Zone should be referred to the proper committees in the House and Senate for review and action.