Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Memorandum
University of San Diego
James Kidd
UnUni
MEMO
Chief,
Our community has experienced the negative impacts that the illegal drug trade creates. The
consequences of drug abuse affect the individuals along with their friends, families, businesses, and city
resources. Law enforcement and interdiction are critical elements in the effort to reduce the drug trade.
Prescription drugs are becoming one of the top emerging threats to public health and requires new
approaches to drug enforcement. Drug related violence continues to impact our community as we are
American drug policy has created unintended consequences that specifically impact our area. We
are located less than 4 hours from the Mexico border. Major highways are being utilized for drug
trafficking and our city has become a distribution hub. As the drug penalties are enhanced, specifically for
marijuana, the trade becomes more professionalized (LEPSL 500 3.1). The reallocation of law
enforcement that hindered trade routes through Florida has essentially created an international
replacement affect, and places our community directly in the path of current trade routes. The Mexican
drug cartels now dominate international drug trafficking and according to the U.S. Department estimates
that 90% of cocaine enters through our southern border (LEPSL 500 3.1).
Page 1 of 4
Prescription drug abuse has presented its own set of challenges. Our department has investigated
several incidents at the high school in regards to students selling and being in possession of Oxycontin.
Our School Resource Officers note that there appears to be a push of the drug culture into the lives of
those who are not necessarily involved with drugs or the drug trade, but want to appear to act and look
like the drug dealers (Moskos P. 2008). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, approximately
20% of high school students will have used a prescription drug for a non-medical purpose (Perry, H.S.
2017). After marijuana and alcohol, prescription drugs are the most commonly misused substances by
Americans age 14 and older (National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens).
The departments investigation revealed that drugs were related in the most recent homicide case.
On May 20, 2017 a 24 year old male shot and killed a 29 year old over a dispute in drug sales
(Sanangelolive.com, 2017). Peter Moskos argues that the majority of drug markets is relatively nonviolent
with the exception of open-air drug markets (Moskos, 2008). Research also indicates that drugs and
violence has always been assumed, but there is still no adequate conceptual tools to critically understand
the relationship (LEPSL 500 3.2). When we examine the homicide utilizing the three-tiered model
approach, psychopharmacological model, economic compulsion model and systemic model in the
relationship between drugs, drug markets, and violence. Evidence indicates this case was the systemic
model. This drug-related homicide is a byproduct of the unregulated and illegal underground market for
drugs (LEPSL 500 3.2). The argument between the two users were over the drugs themselves. The
overwhelming majority of drug-related homicides fall into being a byproduct of the systemic model
Page 2 of 4
There are several negative effects of the drug trade that affect our community. These effects range
from being a public health issue, to violent crimes, and local economic consequences that place a burden
on resources. Drug sales often draw other illegal activities to our area and create a glorified pill-popping
culture among high school students. Drug trades are difficult to police due to its profitability (LEPSL 500
3.1). In order to address these challenges our department will need to identify and incorporate new
Page 3 of 4
References:
Fritsvold, Erik, LEPSL 500 Critical Issues in Law Enforcement and Public Safety. Module 3 Presentation
1. University of San Diego 2017
Fritsvold, Erik, LEPSL 500 Critical Issues in Law Enforcement and Public Safety. Module 3 Presentation
2. University of San Diego 2017
Moskos, P. (2008). Cop in the hood: my year policing Baltimores eastern district. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press.
Perry, H. S. (2017, March 22). These are the top drugs abused by high school students. Retrieved June 09,
2017, from http://clark.com/health-health-care/top-drugs-abused-high-school-students/
Suspect Confesses To Shooting Brownwood Man In The Head. (2017, May 26). Retrieved June 08, 2017,
from http://sanangelolive.com/news/crime/2017-05-26/suspect-confesses-shooting-brownwood-man-
head
The National Institute on Drug Abuse Blog Team. (). Prescription Drugs. Retrieved from
https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/prescription-drugs on June 9, 2017.
Page 4 of 4