Police Departments Under Siege: A Search for Solutions

• NCJ Number: 119975
• Author(s): J K Stewart
• Date Published: January 1989
• Length: 16 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored

Annotation

This address by the director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) identifies research initiatives for police to use in controlling illicit drug use in communities.

Abstract

Pointing out that 60 percent of NIJ's research funding is directed at various aspects of drug control, the director describes NIJ programs such as Drug Use Forecasting (DUF), which uses voluntary urinalysis to measure the recent drug use of arrested criminals. DUF is used to isolate trends, such as the increase in drug use by women and the increased risk of HIV infection among groups injecting drugs. Another information program, Drug Market Analysis (DMA), used to help police fight drug dealers, is described, as is the Demand Reduction Program, an Arizona program used to target casual drug users from all walks of life. The effectiveness of a program utilizing a tactical narcotics team, carried out by New York City police, is assessed and a Chicago Housing Authority program to help residents of public housing deal with crime and drug trafficking is detailed. Drug policies of the 1960's and 1970's are compared with 1980's policies.