NCJ Number
160531
Date Published
1994
Length
53 pages
Annotation
The Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Formula Grant Program provides substantial assistance to New Jersey's law enforcement community to carry out a coordinated, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary strategy against drugs and crime.
Abstract
New Jersey's statewide strategy for drugs and violent crimes is outlined in its 1993 Statewide Narcotics Action Plan, a strategy that defines explicit directives and guidelines for State, county, and local law enforcement agencies. This plan calls for mobilizing law enforcement resources to identify, investigate, prosecute, convict, and incarcerate drug offenders and directs that law enforcement cooperate with public and private organizations to develop and implement education, prevention, and public awareness programs to reduce the demand for illegal drugs. The disbursement of block grant funds is based on a statewide needs assessment. During 1994, Formula Grant Program funds focused on multijurisdictional task forces, drug diversion, crime prevention and control, financial investigations, court process improvements, correctional treatment programs, and a public housing drug control program. New Jersey has 21 county drug task forces, each under the county prosecutor's control. These task forces work joint drug investigations with State and Federal agencies and have become increasingly involved in violent crime prevention. In 1994, county task forces made 5,018 arrests and seized approximately $7.3 million in cash, 485 vehicles, 257 weapons, and 61 personal property items. New Jersey augments the task force approach with a targeted community policing initiative, and an example of the Police/Community Partnership Program is a drug-free initiative in a public housing complex. In addition to drug law enforcement, New Jersey focuses on court drug cases and on drug treatment programs in correctional institutions and in the community.