The courts and the media tell dealers and smugglers how we work, and they get better and better at avoiding detection. Drug forms change, and few expected the sudden proliferation of clandestine labs that occurred in the '90s. Unfortunately, far too many officers know far too little about drug traffic, what they can do about it, and what it can do to them.
Drugs cross all socio-economic lines, and all areas of criminal enterprise.
All professional officers need to be aware of what is going on in the world of drug dealing, and what they can do as part of a drug task force, assisting a drug unit, or going into homes as part of other investigations or patrol efforts. The Law Enforcement Training Institute has created The Drug Enforcement Academy, as a way for all law enforcement officers to improve their ability to work effectively against drugs. The Academy is a series of practical courses that offers information and skill development that can be used every day on the street. It will also deal with issues that supervisors need to be aware of, in order to keep their drug units from becoming a liability instead of a benefit. A series of two to three day courses, offered around Missouri, should make it easier to attend than a single, extended program.