Dealing With Illegal Narcotics Activity

¶ … Criminal Narcotics Activity Drug dealing has developed to become a major problem in the modern society because of increased retail drug dealing activities, which eventually create many problems in the community. The increased retail drug dealing activities in the community has in turn resulted in increased incidents of criminal narcotics activity. As a result of increased problems associated with retail drug dealing, developing and designing procedure for addressing criminal narcotics activity has become an important measure for enhancing the well-being of individuals and the society.

The southern border has acted as the main source of criminal narcotics activity and generated significant concerns in today's law enforcement. In essence, law enforcement agencies and personnel are increasingly faced with the need to develop appropriate measures to deal with such activities in this area. Narcotics Activity along the Southern Border Illegal trafficking along the southern border continues to be a major recurring threat to the safety of the United States and is one of the major security priorities for the country.

Transnational criminal organizations in Mexico have become dominant features of transportation and distribution of narcotics in the United States ("National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy," 2011). Criminal narcotics activity along the southern border is attributed to various factors including the fact that Mexico is the main source of methamphetamine and marijuana. Moreover, increased violence in Mexico and along this border has contributed to increased criminal narcotics activity. The United States Department of Homeland Security has constantly developed several counternarcotics strategies to help combat these crimes.

The counternarcotics strategies include enactment of several policies towards dealing with narcotics activities, various intra-departmental initiatives, and use of unprecedented resources, personnel and technology. While these strategies have helped address narcotics activity along the southern border, they have not been effective in eradicating the problem completely. Consequently, developing and designing a program for addressing illegal narcotics activity along the southern border is increasingly vital.

Program for Combating Illegal Narcotics Activity along the Southern Border This program for addressing illegal narcotics activity along the southern border will focus on the youth since they are increasingly affected by these activities. Young people in the southern border provinces have increasingly become victims of criminal narcotics activity and play a major role in the spread of narcotics and drug abuse. Since young people are mostly affected by these activities, it is increasingly important to develop and design programs to combat the program.

The existing counternarcotics programs that target youth in southern border provinces have been based on the President's National Drug Control Strategy, which is a balanced, evidence-based plan for lessening drug abuse and its consequences ("Countering Drug-related Crime," n.d.). Generally, these programs have focused on prevention of drug abuse, treatment, rehabilitation, and other social-service strategies. The existing counternarcotics programs are usually run by narcotics officers who specialize in preventing the distribution and use of illegal drugs.

The job descriptions of these officers include working with law enforcement departments and agencies to deal with distribution and use of illegal drugs, investigating drug-related crimes, and identifying drug trafficking paths and dealers. This counternarcotics program for young people in southern border provinces will incorporate some of the measures utilized in existing programs as well as additional initiatives that specifically target this population. In order to achieve its goals, the program will be based on pertinent policies, procedures, and job descriptions.

The most pertinent policies for this program include the National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and CCNA Program. The most pertinent procedures for the program include gathering intelligence and sharing information with relevant agencies, conducting investigations and prosecutions, and interdicting illegal drugs between ports of entry. In addition, the most pertinent job descriptions include investigating drug distribution and use, identifying drug dealers and routes, and reporting and evaluating evidence.

Apart from applying these policies and procedures, the success of the program would require promoting interagency collaboration, which is a crucial element in the fight against illegal drug distribution and use along the southern border. The program will ensure collaboration between agencies through developing a conceptual framework for interagency coordination, establishing an intelligence management system, developing overarching strategies, and enhancing information sharing (Winters, n.d.). The implementation plan for this program entails developing a suitable strategy, executing the framework, and evaluating and improving the program every 6 months.

The first stage of development of a suitable strategy will entail working with different relevant agencies and departments towards effective counternarcotics framework. The execution involves working with the agencies and personnel to incorporate the program as part of everyday law enforcement initiatives. This will be followed by an evaluation of the effectiveness of this program every 6 months in light of its specific goals and making necessary changes towards improving its effectiveness and dealing with emerging issues.

The use of law enforcement agencies and personnel in executing the program necessitates ensuring adequate training of key personnel. Some of the training requirements for these personnel include similar academic requires as regular law enforcement officers, relevant law enforcement experience, specialization in narcotics, and completion of physical and written exams. The training materials will include relevant policies that address narcotics, laws and.