DRUGS AND NARCOTICS INVESTIGATION
Every police agency should acknowledge the direct relationship between narcotics and drug offenses and other criminal activity and should have available narcotic and drug investigation capability based on that acknowledgment.
[1] Every police agency should provide fundamental narcotic and drug investigation training to every officer during basic training and on a continual basis.
[2] Every police agency should cooperate in and, where necessary, establish narcotic and drug abuse public awareness programs such as school system educational programs, civic group programs, multi-agency community programs, and Alcoholics Anonymous programs.
[3] Every police agency employing more than 75 personnel should have a full-time narcotics and drug investigation capability. Personnel in small agencies may be assigned where justified by the local problem.
- The number of personnel assigned to the narcotic and drug operation should be determined by the local problem.
- Where appropriate, in agencies with 75 or fewer personnel, drug and narcotic operations may be consolidated with vice operations.
- Drug and narcotic operations should be decentralized to the extent that the agency is; however, a central drug and narcotic unit should be maintained to coordinate the decentralized operations.
[4] Every police agency should ensure coordination and intelligence, and uniformed patrol.
[5] Every chief executive should establish written policies and procedures requiring that every narcotic and drug complaint will be in writing and thoroughly investigated. These policies and procedures should provide that:
- All narcotics and drug complaints are distributed to the chief executive or his delegate, and to the central narcotic and drug unit;
- A written follow-up report of every open drug or narcotic investigation be prepared every 30 days to indicate the progress of the investigation;
- Individual, team, and unit narcotic and drug investigation reports and activity summaries are inspected and reviewed continually;
- Individual, team, and unit performance measures continually are applied to drug and narcotic operations. These measures should include arrests and dispositions; the number of purchases by type of drug or narcotic, quantity and quality of seized narcotics and drugs, other crimes cleared, and working caseload.
[6] Every police agency should provide narcotic operations with special funds and specialized equipment such as vehicles, electronic equipment, and vision devices necessary to conduct effective narcotic and drug operations.
METHOD OF IMPLEMENTATION
Small agencies should make cooperative arrangements or contract arrangements should be made with other departments or with the State Narcotic and Liquor Law Enforcement Agency.
In medium-sized departments, all officers should receive specialized training in vice operations; however, specific assignments should be made to the detective or a detective division for follow-up investigations.
In large departments, full-time investigation divisions should be maintained.
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