Drugs Flashcards
What is the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971? (3)
- The framework in which we police, classify substances
- Classifies substances according to harm and danger
- Determines penalties for drug offences
Name the 3 main legislation developments
- PACE 1984: S+S if ‘reasonable suspicion’
- Drug Act 2005: allows officers to test on arrest
- SOC and Policing Act 2005: extended power to arrest to any offence (if proportionate and necessary
What are the main agencies involved? (5)
- Europol/ Interpol
- NCA, replaced SOCA (2013)
- UK Border Agency
- British Transport Police
- Local Police Forces
Who makes up the most amount of seizures (frequency and quantity)?
Local police forces make up 97% seizures, but border forces seize a far greater amount
Describe the trend of cannabis use
Over the past 30 years it has increased, but recently it is in a trend of decline. Although there is an increase in seizures due to targeting by police
What is cannabis ‘normalisation’
It describes a change in nature of policing: not as harmful so there is not a great focus on it
What was the Lambeth experiment?
Name an advantage and a disadvantage
Decriminalised possession of cannabis in small area of London
Improved relations between communities, much support
But: led to a surge in drug-related offences and a collapse in arrest and clear-up rate
What are the problems police face? (3)
- Change in types of market (shift towards intensive indoor cultivation)
- Linked to organised crime (support other illegal activities)
- Huge variation in different countries (UK predominantly consumers)
What are the 3 tiers of the ‘Broome Triangle’?
- Divisional
- Force
- Regional/national
What are the aims of the community damage limitation approach? (4)
- Reduce drug use and associated harms
- Reduce drug-related violence
- Prevent growth of criminal/ organised networks
- Protect neighbourhoods
Describe high-level policing strategies (3)
- Crop-programmes: eradicate/ offer enticements to grow alternative crops
- Interdiction: stop before get through border (disrupt market to reduce demand)
- Take out main individuals (if organised)
Describe low-level policing strategies (4)
- Increase risks/ costs (police presence)
- Constrict the market (less predictable)
- Selective policing (take out heavy users, reduce demand: dealers have to deal with unfamiliars)
- Inconvenience policing (deter novice users/ would be buyers)
How much supply is disrupted at present? And how much is needed to see effects?
4-25%
80%
What are the unintended consequences of enforcement? 1 (3), 2
- Displacement:
- Geographical (balloon effect): shift problem elsewhere
- Dealer (turf-wars): dealers replaced, market instability
- substance: target 1 drug, impacts local availability- diff. substances used as replacements (can be dangerous) - Stigma (criminalising exacerbates)
