NCJ Number
170355
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 65 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1998) Pages: 36,38-40
Date Published
1998
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A National Methamphetamine Conference sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration was held in Arlington, Va. in February 1996 to review the emerging problem of methamphetamine trafficking and to examine ways to address it.
Abstract
The conference emphasized a field-driven approach, and the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement and the California Narcotics Officers' Association helped plan it. The participants included representatives of more than 100 Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as prevention and treatment specialists. A comprehensive questionnaire asked participants about methamphetamine production, trafficking, and use in their jurisdiction. Eighty-one percent of the jurisdictions reported increased trafficking, 63 percent cited trafficking and production as a leading problem in their jurisdiction, 52 percent regularly encountered clandestine labs in their areas. However, 64 percent reported that their agencies were having difficulties in conducting investigations due to scarce personnel and limited financial resources. The conference's seven working groups focused on investigation and enforcement strategies, chemical control, information sharing, clandestine labs, technology, safety and environmental issues, and demand reduction. Enforcement actions, regional conferences, and the passage of the Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996 are all advancing efforts to address the problem.