An Examination of Arrest Practices in Regions Served by Multijurisdictional Drug Task Forces

Abstract

Approximately 800 multijurisdictional narcotics task forces now operate across the country, yet little is known about their impact on drug enforcement practices. This article presents findings regarding arrest practices from a pre-post implementation evaluation with comparison groups of two such task forces operating in Indiana. With varying degrees of success, both task forces achieved their basic objectives of increasing both the number and the seriousness of drug arrests. However, while it appears that the task force structure facilitates the achievement of these aims, it does not appear to be a necessary condition for producing these results.