NCJ Number
165270
Date Published
1984
Length
145 pages
Annotation
This roundtable drew upon the collective experience and expertise of some 200 Federal, State, and local government officials in the sharing of information and concerns regarding their mutual interest in increasing the participation of the military, particularly the National Guard, in efforts to counter illegal drug trafficking.
Abstract
A focus of the roundtable was the role of the National Guard in civilian law enforcement. Roundtable participants recognized that considerable confusion surrounds the issue of the extent to which the National Guard, with its dual mission as a component of the active military services when federalized and as a State militia when under the command of a governor, can participate in the drug-control activities of law enforcement authorities. Of equal concern was Department of Defense policy and regulation that govern the loan of military equipment to civilian law enforcement authorities. At issue was the availability of certain types of sophisticated military equipment; procedures that govern the formulation, submission, and deliberation of requests for the loan of military equipment generally; and policy that affects the cases in which reimbursement would be sought for the loan of such equipment from the requesting civilian authority. Suggesting that the control of illegal drugs in the United States might appropriately be considered a matter of national defense, the roundtable generally called for the dedication of greater resources to drug enforcement efforts, greater flexibility in the manner in which military assets may be applied to civilian law enforcement matters, and clarification and streamlining of procedures that govern access to military assets. Appended supplementary material