Drug Control Task Forces: Creating and Implementing a Multijurisdictional Unit

• NCJ Number: 138332
• Date Published: 1993
• Author(s): J R Coldren Jr
• Length: 6 pages
• Grant Number(s): 89-DD-CX-0058
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

This study of multijurisdictional drug-control task forces identified practices that led to successful implementation and that facilitated impact evaluations.

Abstract

The study found that efforts to establish a multijurisdictional task force to control a region's drug trade sometimes stimulate opposition from agency heads who fear loss of budget and "turf." Once a task force operation begins, however, interagency cooperation and understanding usually increase. The successful multijurisdictional anti- drug task forces have carefully composed written agreements that specify task force objectives, funding methods, and responsibilities. Successful task forces have a top supervisor with extensive drug enforcement experience, who have chosen experienced officers to work under them. Effective task forces also rely on computerized databases as an important information source for task force operations. Effective task forces are characterized by flexibility in offering local agencies a range of options for participation; they are also flexible in arrest policies, in that they make nondrug arrests when appropriate. Other characteristics of effective drug-control task forces are prosecutor involvement, the holding of regular meetings, the use of asset forfeiture, and the use of comprehensive evaluation criteria for measuring task force effectiveness. 9 notes