Rather than accentuating the notion that current criminal justice operations are "loosely coupled," thus resulting in unresponsive and internally inconsistent police behavior, this perspective highlights a major strength of current drug enforcement operations. Further, it suggests that many reform efforts may be misplaced. Emphasis has been placed on altering the structure of drug enforcement, however, from a crime control perspective, the structure is not very problematic. Increased understanding and improved operations may be better served if emphasis were to be placed on the nature of internal controls on police behavior. The attention should be focused on the management of the drug war's effects on the behavior of police. Demands for change appear based on a number of faulty assumptions, promoting unnecessary changes in the organization of drug enforcement. The result can be dysfunctional consequences for the quality of justice in American society and the ability to effectively fight the "drug war." 7 tables, 12 notes, 45 references.