NCJ Number
123768
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 59 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1990) Pages: 2-5
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Because drug dealers continuously cross jurisdictional boundaries to evade apprehension and prosecution, a regional drug task force was formed in Paducah, Ky., to serve the western part of the State.
Abstract
During the first part of 1987, local law enforcement agencies met to discuss the possibility of developing a drug task force. Once it was determined that Kentucky laws permit interagency operations, Paducah police officers reviewed the operational plans of other law enforcement agencies that had already established aggressive drug programs or task forces. They determined that each police department should have direct control over drug investigations in its jurisdiction. This approach enabled each police department to protect its own community while supporting the task force program. A method for dividing seized property was incorporated into the task force agreement. Contact officers were designated within each police department so that all participating departments would have a chain of command to follow when communicating or working together. With regard to funding, each police department agreed to supply what equipment and manpower it had available at the time of each investigation. Since its inception, the Western Area Narcotics Team (WANT) Task Force has been responsible for over 83 arrests involving serious drug dealers and for the seizure of over 3.3 kilos of cocaine and 13.4 pounds of marijuana. Further, the Paducah crime rate has decreased by 42 percent. The WANT Task Force has proved to be a viable approach to pooling manpower, resources, and expertise that is accepted by local police departments.