ONE RESPONSE TO THE RISE IN ILLEGAL DRUG USE HAS BEEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MULTI-AGENCY NARCOTICS (MAN) UNIT. COMPOSED OF OFFICERS FROM COOPERATING JURISDICTIONS, THE MAN UNIT OPERATES AS A SINGLE TACTICAL ENTITY. TO DATE, APPROXIMATELY 150 SUCH UNITS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED TO CONSOLIDATE AND COORDINATE DRUG ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS IN NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES. AS PART OF A YEAR-LONG PROJECT, MAN UNITS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WERE IDENTIFIED AND QUERIED REGARDING UNIT CHARACTERISTICS AND LOCAL DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS. TWELVE OF THE RESPONDING MAN UNITS WERE SELECTED FOR SITE VISITS. BASED ON THE INFORMATION DERIVED FROM VISITING THESE UNITS AND FROM CONDUCTING ADDITIONAL RESEARCH, THIS PRESCRIPTIVE PACKAGE WAS PREPARED PRIMARILY TO ASSIST POLICE ADMINISTRATORS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING A MAN UNIT AND THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING SUCH SQUADS. IT EXAMINES THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE UNITS STUDIED AND RECOMMENDS CERTAIN PROCEDURES AND POLICIES THAT CAN BE USED TO FACILITATE SUCCESSFUL MAN UNIT OPERATIONS. SPECIFIC GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PROVIDED IN SUCH AREAS AS STAFF SELECTION AND TRAINING, PROGRAM OPERATIONS, UNIT ADMINISTRATION, THE USE OF SPECIALIZED SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT, AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT. VARIATIONS OF PRACTICE IN THE FORMATION, OPERATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNITS ARE TRACED TO DIFFERENCES IN THE PERCEPTION OF THE NARCOTICS PROBLEM ON THE PART OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, RELATED GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. OVERALL, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MAN UNITS WAS FOUND TO BE A FUNCTION OF ITS RESPONSIVENESS TO LOCAL NEEDS.