NCJ Number
117923
Journal
Public Administration Review Volume: 45 Dated: special issue (November 1985) Pages: 712-717
Date Published
1985
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article traces and discusses drug law enforcement in the United States, emphasizing the role of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) established in 1982.
Abstract
Coordinating State and Federal efforts to effectively enforce drug laws took many years and included bureaucratic disputes among Federal agencies. A breakthrough in the Federal government's efforts occurred in 1982 with the creation of the South Florida Task Force, which coordinated Customs, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Coast Guard personnel to fight the flow of illegal drugs entering Miami. From the South Florida Task Force model came the proposal for the OCDETF, which was able to dismantle major drug trafficking organizations by using Federal task forces organized as effectively as the drug traffickers themselves.