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AJ 58 – Community and Human Relations
Chapter 10 –
Community Policing and Drugs
Historical Overview
When did the “drug problem” begin?– Age-old history
1960’s caused society/LE to focus on problem
– Flagrant, public drug use– Anti-Establishment rebellion– “Turn on, tune in, drop out”
War on Drugs
Drugs seen as the “enemy”– Connections to crime/violence– Devastating to families– Hot political topic
Police caught in middle – Legal issue of related crimes– Moral issue affecting whole society
Community Policing efforts must focus on– Problem solving– Health of community
Nature/Extent of the Problem
Media focus = perception of huge problem Problem must be understood before
effective strategies can be developed– National surveys– Hospital data– Prison data
All indicate drugs as significant problem What is the most problematic drug?
Police Anti-Drug Strategies
Impossible to eliminate drugs, thus LE focus should be on reducing harm
– Target problems, not just apprehend drug offenders Goals of anti-drug efforts
– Reduce organized crime/gang violence– Control drug-related street crime– Improve health/well-being of users– Restore quality-of-life by ending drug dealing– Prevent drug experimentation by children– Protect integrity of criminal justice institutions
Which of these can LE affect directly?
Law Enforcement Anti-Drug Efforts
High-level enforcement attacks on drug growers, producers, manufacturers, distributors
– Reducing supply = disruption to network Burden placed on federal agencies
– DEA Cooperating with foreign governments
– FBI Attacking organized crime networks that distribute drugs
– ATF Working with local LE to target mid-level wholesalers/dealers
– Customs Inspecting goods entering US
High-Level Enforcement
Federal anti-drug enforcement efforts– Long-term development of informants– Undercover intelligence-gathering– Electronic surveillance– Bottom-up methodology
This type of enforcement is…– Expensive, time-consuming– Dependent upon available resources
Local LE more focused on street-level
Supply and Demand
Reduction in supply = increase in cost, but LE efforts have not significantly reduced overall supply of drugs
LE might not be interfering with strongest operators
Strong organizations have many subordinates ready to continue operations– May lead to increased violence
Military assistance?
Retail-Level Enforcement
Discreet dealings– Homes, offices, clubs/bars, etc.– More difficult to address– Less likely to contribute to collateral crime and disorder
Indiscreet dealings– Open street corners, “crack houses”, “shooting galleries”…– Easier to address– Increases crime/disorder in area– Indicator of serious community problem
Attacking Indiscreet Dealers
Should be top LE priority– Results in greatest harm reduction for Community
Street “sweeps” and “crackdowns” focus on specific hot-spots
– Numerous arrests… possession, sales, etc.– Temporary approach only– Random crackdowns may be more of a deterrent, but
dealers still adjust/modify operations Buy-Bust/Reverse-Sting operations
– Undercover officers, arrest teams– Target street-level transactions
Overall impact? Message to community?
Anti-Drug Programs for Juveniles
Focus on prevention and enforcement Increased presence in schools
– DARE, SANE, etc.– Multi-grade curriculum– Results show no significant impact on reduction of
drug use, however…– Very positive results of humanizing LE
Community Policing and Drugs
Drug use seems to be interwoven within fabric of society– Connection to other problems/crimes/arrests
Police can not address problem alone, must be cooperative effort and community-wide problem-solving approach including– Law Enforcement– Drug Education– Drug Treatment
Community Policing and Drugs
Community-Policing Officers play vital role in local anti-drug efforts– Community outreach specialists– Positive relationships
Success of community involvement– Focus on less-affluent, high/crime areas– Organize marches, rallies, citizen-patrols– Identify community leader to initiate activities
Community Policing and Retail-Level Drug Dealing
CPO’s offer first line of defense Permanent, citywide, neighborhood-based approach
– Permanent beat assignments– Establish trust, cooperation, communication
CPO’s can… – Conduct informal surveys of neighborhoods– Identify specific crime/disorder problems– Create innovative responses with cooperation of community
members or other public agencies
Successful Efforts
North Miami Beach, Fla.– Warn/notify dealers, offer job information– Follow-up with arrests/job information– Post job notices/Host job fairs
Lansing, Mich.– Random visits to drug houses– Chat with “customers”– Disrupt business– Visible presence = perception of LE concern/effort
CPO can be informational link to community if LE sweeps or crackdowns planned
– Otherwise seen as harassment/overly-aggressive
Information-Gathering
Trust = cooperation = communication! Identify person(s) in community interested in
helping to identify/solve problem– Retirees, concerned citizens, etc.– More easily identified/approached by CPO– Numerous/random contacts by CPO’s lessens
likelihood of informant identification/retaliation by suspects
Community-Policing Strategies
Arrest becomes merely one option of many– Focus on problem-solving– Arrests may bottleneck the system and create lack of
confidence Focus on Disorderly Conduct (M) arrests to
discourage customers/dealers– Neighborhood Watch meetings near problem– Escort services
Creative, community-based/police-supervised strategies shift focus from felony arrests as goal
Police & Community Working Together
Police-Community efforts– Walking sweeps of neighborhoods– Writing down license plate numbers– “Photographing” dope deals
Create zero-tolerance atmosphere CPO is catalyst for involving citizens
– Brainstorm new, innovative ideas– Job opportunities for recovering addicts
Deal with community frustrations which may lead to vigilantism
– Continuing/personalized supervision of citizens
Avoiding Corruption
Fears of corruption/abuse if line officers allowed to initiate drug intervention
Corruption/abuse more likely from elite units/task-forces, especially if working under secrecy
– Accountability issues– Basing success on arrests opens door to corruption/abuse– Robin Hood mentality
CPO’s identify more with community needs– Less likely than other line officers to have “us vs. them” mentality
Problem-Solving Strategies
Improved lighting in drug-dealing areas Cooperative teaming of Law Enforcement
and Code Enforcement officers Removal of basketball hoops in drug-dealing
park– Leaving others for legitimate use
Elimination of potential hiding places Improvement of resident/visitor access
Strategies for Juveniles
Why do kids join gangs?– Identity, excitement, protection, “easy” money
Alternatives?– Youth clubs, sports, recreational activities
Other strategies– Identify “at-risk” kids/families– Offer “rewards” for positive behavior– Must go beyond classroom education
CPO’s serve as positive role models
Link to Other Services
Encourage alcohol/drug/anger counseling for families
Provide information to drug addicts regarding AIDS, Hepatitis, etc.
Refer to health services for teen pregnancies
Summary
Community Policing adds scope and continuity to existing anti-drug efforts
Goes beyond traditional special-unit enforcement– Arrests no longer main goal
Focuses on problem-solving strategies that require community cooperation
Reduces risk of civil unrest, disturbances, riots that may result from traditional aggressive enforcement efforts
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