Multiagency Response to Clandestine Drug Laboratories.

MENU TITLE: Clandestine Laboratory Fact Sheet
Series: BJA
Published: November 1995
5 pages
8,729 bytes

Bureau of Justice Assistance Fact Sheet

Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Program

Significant quantities of illegal drugs--including
stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and
narcotics--are produced in clandestine drug
laboratories throughout the country. These
laboratories often house substantial amounts of
highly toxic, corrosive, and explosive chemicals
that pose serious health and environmental risks.
Unlike other narcotics task force operations,
clandestine laboratory enforcement efforts are
complicated by the presence of these hazardous
materials that call for augmentation of traditional
procedures to effectively address health,
occupational safety, and environmental concerns.
Because of the expertise required for various
aspects of laboratory seizures and prosecutions,
coordination of resources and programs among a
multi disciplinary team of Federal, State, and
local agencies is of the utmost importance.

Background

In 1987 the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) of
the U.S. Department of Justice provided funds to
five State and local agencies to develop and
implement demonstration clandestine laboratory
enforcement programs (CLEP's) covering all phases
of planning, investigation, seizure, arrest,
prosecution, dismantling, waste removal, and
remediation of contaminated property. The
collective experience of these demonstration sites
served as the basis of the Clandestine Laboratory
Enforcement Program, providing a foundation on
which other jurisdictions can design their own
successful clandestine laboratory enforcement
efforts. The program was created with BJA funding
in 1987 and facilitated by Circle Solutions, Inc.,
an employee-owned company specializing in health
and social services management consulting.

Key Program Elements 

The multidisciplinary approach to creating safe and
effective CLEP's calls for performance of the
following activities: 

o Creation of a multidisciplinary planning team to
develop a strategy and coordinate the roles and
responsibilities of the participating agencies.
This team includes representatives from the fields
of law enforcement, health, hazardous materials,
environment services, and, in some cases, child
protective services.

o Development of interagency agreements or
memoranda of understanding that address the CLEP
purpose, goals, objectives, scope of authority,
funding, pay, benefits, personnel, media relations,
and shared distribution of forfeited assets.

o Selection and training of personnel, including a
program coordinator, a financial investigator, a
prosecutor, law enforcement personnel, fire
department hazardous materials teams, health
department personnel, and environment/ecology
department personnel.

o Selection and required use of personal protective
equipment.

o Establishment of procedures for regular medical
screening and surveillance of personnel and for the
collection of related data.

o Development of a system to monitor the sale and
distribution of the precursor chemicals essential
to the production of controlled substances.

o Development of policies and procedures for
clandestine laboratory cleanup, disposal of
contaminated materials, cleanup of residual
contamination, and securing of the site. 

o Development of community education and awareness
programs that familiarize the general public with
the warning signs and dangers of clandestine
laboratory operations.

The successful implementation of a multiagency CLEP
requires that all participants be committed to the
systematic execution of these activities.

Program Services 

BJA makes training and technical support available
for State and local law enforcement agencies
interested in developing an effective approach to
clandestine drug laboratory enforcement through its
grant-funded service provider Circle Solutions,
Inc. Circle Solutions, Inc., staff are experienced
in training, technical assistance, information
systems management, research, and education.

Training. Tuition-free training is provided to
interested law enforcement agencies. Courses
usually are held regionally with coordination
through a specific local agency. Agencies are
taught how to overcome obstacles, such as lack of
investigative expertise and conflicting agency
mandates, by applying a multidisciplinary approach
to clandestine drug laboratory enforcement. The
following courses are offered on an ongoing basis
and can be customized to agency needs:

Introduction to Comprehensive Clandestine Drug
Laboratory Enforcement covers the following topics
in a 1-day (8-hour) session:

o Overview of clandestine drug laboratories.

o Compliance with Federal and State health, safety,
and environmental regulations.

o Components of a comprehensive CLEP.

o Strategic planning approach to clandestine
laboratory enforcement and cleanup.

o Practical steps to implementing a comprehensive
program.

Strategic Planning for Clandestine Drug Laboratory
Enforcement covers all of the introductory course
topics and provides an opportunity for attendees to
develop specific action plans designed to implement
a multiagency CLEP. Additional topics included in
this 2 1/2-day course are: 

o Developing a mission statement.

o Selecting a program coordinator/manager.

o Identifying funding sources and options.

o Writing policies and procedures.

o Determining agency and staff roles and
responsibilities.

o Implementing communication strategies.

o Preparing a training plan.

o Developing a health and safety plan.

o Formulating an evaluation strategy.

For information about how to register, see the "For
Further Information" section.
Technical Assistance. In addition to offering the
two training courses, Circle Solutions, Inc., can
provide limited technical support at no cost to law
enforcement agencies implementing multiagency
CLEP's. Technical support is usually given over the
telephone, but it can be provided on site, if
necessary. Assistance is provided in policy and
procedure development, strategic plan development,
referrals to expert personnel from BJA's CLEP
demonstration sites, and training program followup.
For more information about this limited technical
assistance, contact Circle Solutions, Inc., at the
address provided in the "For Further Information"
section. 

Clandestine Laboratory Resource Publication

The BJA monograph Developing a Strategy for a
Multi-agency Response to Clandestine Drug
Laboratories is designed to help State and local
law enforcement officials plan, organize, and
manage a comprehensive clandestine laboratory
enforcement program. The publication is intended to
complement existing training programs by addressing
the strategy planning process that allows the
operational tasks to take place. To assist
policymakers in formulating their own CLEP
components, this publication presents sample
language from policies and procedures developed by
BJA demonstration sites.

The monograph concludes with a list of sources for
further information, including BJA demonstration
sites, Federal agencies, publications, training
programs, and BJA contacts. 

To obtain a copy of this monograph, contact the
Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse at the
address or telephone number listed in the "For
Further Information" section. 

Program Results

The BJA-funded Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement
Program has proven successful by providing services
that have increased awareness among law enforcement
and other public safety agencies of the hazards and
difficulties involved in investigating drug
laboratories and of the need for intergovernmental
coordination at all levels. In addition, these
agencies have acquired a heightened awareness of
Federal laws pertaining to toxic waste cleanup. 

For Further Information

For additional information about the training
programs, including availability and registration
information, or about obtaining technical support,
contact:

Circle Solutions, Inc. Suite 450
2070 Chainbridge Road
Vienna, VA 22182
Tel: 1-703-902-1225

For all other information, contact:

Bureau of Justice Assistance
Law Enforcement Branch
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
Tel: 1-202-514-5943

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
Tel: 1-800-688-4252
Fax: 1-301-251-5212
Internet: look@ncjrs.aspensys.com

U.S. Department of Justice Response Center
Tel: 1-800-421-6770