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EXPLORATORY STUDY IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENTATION OF NARCOTIC TASK FORCE DATA AS AN AID TO PROGRAM EVALUATION

NCJ Number
36357
Date Published
1975
Length
22 pages
Annotation
A STUDY TO COLLECT AND PRESENT DATA RELEVANT TO THE ARREST AND PROSECUTION OF DRUG OFFENDERS THAT WOULD BE USEFUL IN ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARCOTIC ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCES IN NINE CALIFORNIA COUNTIES.
Abstract
THE SAN MATEO COUNTY NARCOTIC TASK FORCE (NTF) WAS SELECTED AS THE COUNTY TO BE STUDIED. ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCES IN NTF AND NON-NTF PERSONNEL, OBJECTIVES, AND PROCEDURES WERE NOTED. BECAUSE OF THESE DIFFERENCES, COMPARATIVE DATA PRESENTED SHOW CHARACTERISTICS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE OUTCOMES RELATED TO DRUG OFFENDERS ARRESTED BY TWO VERY DIFFERENT KINDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL -- ONE DIRECTED SOLELY TOWARD THE APPREHENSION OF DRUG OFFENDERS, THE OTHER TOWARD THE APPREHENSION OF ALL TYPES OF OFFENDERS. IT WAS FOUND THAT APPROXIMATELY TWO AND ONE-HALF TIMES MORE NTF THAN NON-NTF CREDITED ARRESTS WERE DISPOSED OF IN SAN MATEO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT IN 1974. SIGNIFICANTLY MORE NTF THAN NON-NTF CREDITED ARRESTS DISPOSED OF IN SAN MATEO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT IN 1974 HAD PRIMARY ARREST CHARGES THAT WERE MORE SERIOUS. SIGNIFICANTLY MORE NTF THAN NON-NTF CREDITED ARRESTS DISPOSED OF IN SAN MATEO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT IN 1974 WERE CONVICTED AT A MORE SERIOUS LEVEL. THE REPORT CONCLUDES THAT ALTHOUGH THE NTF UNIT WAS MORE EFFECTIVE IN MAKING ARRESTS THAN CONVENTIONAL POLICE, INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO DETERMINE THE COST-BENEFIT VALUE OF THE PROGRAM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)