WHEREAS, marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in America. Of the nearly 20 million current illicit drug users, 14.6 million (about 75 percent) are using marijuana [Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health]; and

WHEREAS, of all youth age 12-17 in drug treatment in 2000, nearly 62 percent had a primary marijuana diagnosis (SAMHSA, 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health); and

WHEREAS, of the 7.1 million Americans abusing or dependent on illicit drugs, 4.3 million or approximately 60 percent are abusing or dependent on marijuana (SAMHSA, 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health); and

WHEREAS, emergency department drug episodes of marijuana in the United States increased 37.2 percent between 1999 and 2002, from 87,068 to 119,472 (SAMHSA, 2003 Drug Abuse Warning Network); and

WHEREAS, use of marijuana continues to pose a serious health risk to individuals around the world; and

WHEREAS, according to the SAMSHA Treatment Episode data Set, National Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment Services, 1992-2001, marijuana was the second most common illicit drug responsible for treatment admissions in 2001 – outdistancing cocaine, the next most prevalent cause; and

WHEREAS, according to the 1999 report, Adolescent Self-Reported Behavior and Their Association with Marijuana, issued by SAMHSA, young people who use marijuana weekly are nearly four times more likely than nonusers to engage in violence; and

WHEREAS, according to the 2002 University of Mississippi report on the Marijuana Potency Monitoring Project marijuana is much more powerful today than it was 30 years ago, and so are the mind-altering effects. Average tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) rose from less than one percent in the mid-1970s to more than six percent in 2002; and

WHEREAS, the American Medical Association has rejected pleas to endorse marijuana as medicine, and instead has urged that marijuana remain a prohibited Schedule I drug; and

WHEREAS, medial marijuana, called Marinol, already exists. The active ingredient in Marinol is synthetic THC, which has been found to relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with various maladies; and

WHEREAS, there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications that are smoked and it is neither rational nor compassionate to provide a harmful, addictive drug with no scientifically proven medial efficacy; and WHEREAS, inhaling smoke is generally a poor way to administer medicine in a safe, measured, and regulated dose; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research Report Series: Marijuana Abuse, October 2000, marijuana smoke contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke; and

WHEREAS, nine states have enacted legislation that advocate the medical use of marijuana to heal a multitude of physical ailments; and WHEREAS, reckless campaigns to legalize marijuana misleads and confuses the public as to the true risks and dangers of illegal drug use and undermines efforts in the prevention of drug initiates among youth; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) duly assembled at its 110th Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reaffirmed its opposition to any attempts to replace the established medical and scientific criteria for determining when an illegal drug has a bona fide medical purpose and, therefore, opposes these laws and initiatives as inconsistent with established scientific and medical protocols for establishing the medical value of dangerous drugs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP, duly assembled at its 111th Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California, strongly supports public awareness efforts by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Enforcement Administration, and FDA that dispel the myths that smoking marijuana is medicinal and harmless; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly encourages state and local law enforcement agencies and community groups to become involved in the anti-legalization debate to counter the legalization lobby groups and organizations.

WHEREAS, overall drug use in the United States decreased by more than one third since the late 1970s, however 15.9 million people in the United States still used illegal drugs in 2001; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 2.4 million Americans used marijuana for the first time in 2000; and

WHEREAS, 10.8 percent of youths 12 to 17 used illegal drugs in 2001 compared with 9.7 percent in 2000; and.

WHEREAS, among young adults age 18 to 25, drug use increased between 2000 and 2001 from 15.9 percent to 18.8 percent; and

WHEREAS, medical marijuana, called Marinol, already exists. The active ingredient in Marinol is synthetic THC, which has been found to relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with various maladies; and

WHEREAS, eight states have enacted legislation that advocate the medical use of marijuana to heal a multitude of physical ailments; and

WHEREAS, reckless campaigns to legalize marijuana mislead and confuse the public as to the true risks and dangers of illegal drug use and undermine efforts in the prevention of drug initiates among youth; and

WHEREAS, there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications that are smoked and it is neither rational nor compassionate to provide a harmful, addictive drug with no scientifically proven medical efficacy; and

WHEREAS, inhaling smoke is generally a poor way to administer medicine in a safe, measured, and regulated dose; and

WHEREAS, the harmful chemicals and carcinogens that are by-products of smoking marijuana create entirely new health problems in addition to the hazards of tobacco use; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) reaffirms its opposition to any attempts to replace the established medical and scientific criteria for determining when an illegal drug has a bona fide medical purpose and, therefore, opposes these laws and initiatives as inconsistent with established scientific and medical protocols for establishing the medical value of dangerous drugs; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly supports public awareness efforts by the Office of National Drug Control Police (ONDCP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that dispel the myths that marijuana has beneficial worth when used for medicinal purposes and that it is not harmful in recreational use; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly encourages state and local law enforcement agencies to become involved as soon as legalization efforts are apparent as an anti-legalization advocate in efforts to counter the legalization lobby.

WHEREAS, the number of clandestine laboratories seized nationwide by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) according to the National Clandestine Laboratory Database in CY2002 was 557. The National Clandestine Laboratory Database reports 8,911 clandestine laboratory seizures in CY2002 by state and local police. More than 90 percent of these laboratories are clandestine methamphetamine laboratories; and

WHEREAS, methamphetamine addiction and trafficking has resulted in increased violence and has severely impacted the quality of life in many communities; and

WHEREAS, significantly increasing methamphetamine production and abuse poses a unique challenge for drug enforcement in the United States. The added burdens of law enforcement include additional specialized training for officers in hazardous waste disposal, environmental contamination, and additional public safety issues (fires, explosions, and poisonous gas), in addition to the crime, violence and abuse problems typically associated with controlled substances; and

WHEREAS, in 1997, DEA reported 31 fires and 11 explosions associated with 1,451 clandestine drug laboratory seizures in which DEA participated. In CY2002, the National Clandestine Laboratory Database documented 94 incidents of laboratories which had explosives and/ or booby traps, and 2078 incidents where children were present during the seizure of the laboratory; and

WHEREAS, as part of the National Methamphetamine Strategy, DEA has taken the lead role in providing hazardous waste cleanup contractors and laboratory safety training to state and local police, who have limited resources to address this problem; and the demise of the COPS funding mechanism and dramatic increases in laboratory seizures have created funding shortfalls of crises proportions for providing these services; and

WHEREAS, pseudoephedrine which is the primary precursor required for the production of methamphetamine, is smuggled in large quantities into the country through Canada and is also readily available for over-the-counter purchases in smaller quantities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly urges Congress to provide DEA continued and adequate funding resources to confront the clandestine laboratory problem. This problem consists of thousands of small production laboratories across the United States, which require specialized training for thousands of police to counteract the public safety hazards. These funding resources are mandated in order for DEA, state and local police agencies to comply with OSHA regulations and successfully combat the clandestine drug laboratory problem in addition to the overall methamphetamine problem; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly urges Congress to provide continued funding directly to the DEA to insure adequate financial assistance to law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. This funding supports the training of law enforcement personnel in the safe and environmentally sound disposition of seized clandestine chemical laboratories and to enable DEA to efficiently and effectively administer this program; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP calls on all governments to provide their law enforcement agencies with the resources necessary to support the training of law enforcement personnel in the safe and environmentally sound disposition of seized clandestine chemical laboratories; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP asserts that a basic course should be developed for all law enforcement officials as an officer safety issue to ensure that officers will be knowledgeable about the dangers of clandestine laboratory operations in the event they are confronted with the situation; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly urges that private companies and commercial establishments should provide safeguards for the pseudoephedrine products under their control.

WHEREAS, the total budget for the Department of Defense (DOD ) counterdrug support was reduced from $1,008 Million in FY2002 to $882 Million in FY2003, a decrease of 12.5 percent; and

WHEREAS, the DOD support to the National Drug Control Strategy includes providing specific military skills, training support, and mobile training teams on various topics to include language training, emergency first aid, intelligence and link analysis, basic marksmanship, multi-subject tactical instruction, K-9 training, and first aid; and

WHEREAS, the DOD support to the National Drug Control Strategy includes engineer/construction assistance, research and development (into such areas as cargo inspection, tactical operations support equipment, personnel portal screeners), and technology support; and

WHEREAS, the DOD support to the National Drug Control Strategy includes ten training courses for federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel with drug enforcement responsibilities; and

WHEREAS, the DOD support to the National Drug Control Strategy includes military transportation in support of drug enforcement operations of personnel, supplies, equipment for operational movements and controlled deliveries; and

WHEREAS, the DOD support to the National Drug Control Strategy includes services supplied by the Civil Air Patrol in the area of aerial reconnaissance for the purpose of marijuana reconnaissance task force augmentation, and offshore patrols; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly urges Congress and the Department of Defense to provide permanent and adequate funding resources for DOD to assist state and local law enforcement agencies with assistance in counterdrug operations.

WHEREAS, the Internet is increasingly used to market a multitude of different products for sale, including drug use paraphernalia, and chemicals used to manufacture illegal drugs; and

WHEREAS, the Internet Service Providers manage the Internet that provides marketing services; and

WHEREAS, Title 21 Section 863 (a) of the United States Criminal Code prohibits the sale of drug paraphernalia; and

WHEREAS, the sale and/or distribution of drug paraphernalia over the Internet is becoming an increasing problem and contributing significantly to the distribution of illegal controlled substances throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, substances such as mannitol, quinine, inosital, and lactose are sold over the Internet and used by drug trafficking organizations to dilute controlled substances such as cocaine and heroin; and

WHEREAS, federal, state and local law enforcement should work together to target companies involved in the distribution of drug paraphernalia; and WHEREAS, current advances in telecommunication technology have affected law enforcement capabilities to detect critical information detailing criminal activities; and

WHEREAS, the lawful intercepting of Internet communications is one of the most valuable investigative tools available to law enforcement in identifying and crippling illegal drug activities and drug trafficking organizations; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly urges cooperation from Internet Service Providers to assist law enforcement in executing internet surveillance by designing or modifying their systems to ensure that lawfully-authorized Internet surveillance can be performed to ensure that illegal narcotics, the chemicals to manufacture illegal narcotics, and the paraphernalia necessary to use illegal narcotics, not be marketed on the Internet.

WHEREAS, in 1992 the Office of National Drug Control Policy recognized a critical need for a system to increase information sharing among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies; and WHEREAS, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) responded to the request by developing the National Drug Pointer Index (NDPIX), which is a fully automated pointer information system that provides participating federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with an automated response capability to determine if a drug investigative target is under active investigation by any other participating agency; and WHEREAS, DEA has been working towards enhancement of NDPIX to increase information sharing through electronic connectivity and automation among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; and WHEREAS, DEA with its partners, the Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), is developing a National Virtual Pointer System (NVPS) that will be comprised of RISS, HIDTA, NDPIX, and possibly other state and local target deconfliction databases; and WHEREAS, the NVPS will be an automated system that will connect existing target deconfliction databases dealing with all crimes into one virtual pointer system. This will allow participating federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies access to all participating agency target deconfliction databases through a single point of entry; and WHEREAS, the success of NVPS is dependent upon all law enforcement agencies entering target information of their criminal investigations; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls upon all member agencies (federal, state, local, and tribal) to enter all criminal investigative targets into available target deconfliction systems (i.e., HIDTA, RISS, NDPIX) that will constitute and populate the NVPS.

WHEREAS, there is an organized and well-funded movement in the United States and around the world to legalize or decriminalize drugs using strategies of medical marijuana, industrial hemp, harm reduction, and needle exchange; and

WHEREAS, "(t)he National District Attorneys Association recognizes that since 1996 incremental changes in state drug laws have continued at an alarming rate across our nation. Rarely are these incremental changes promoted for what they really are---well orchestrated efforts to ultimately legalize drugs." ("National District Attorneys Association, Policy Positions on Drug Control and Enforcement," Adopted March 20, 2004, available at www.ndaa-apri.org); and

WHEREAS, those legalization strategies often occur through the introduction of legislation at the federal, state or local level or through ballot initiatives that prey upon persons who have not been well informed on the drug threat. "In Arizona, $1.1 million of the $1.5 million spent was from out-of-state, and $1.4 million of the $1.8 million spent in California was from out-of-state. Opponents, with little time and limited resources, managed to raise and spend only about $30,000 in each state." (IACP/DEA, "A Police Chiefs Guide to the Legalization Issue," December 7, 2001, available at www.theiacp.org/publications); and

WHEREAS, federal state and local law enforcement agencies are on the front lines in confronting the most powerful and sophisticated organized crime groups ever to challenge law enforcement agencies. The International Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Organizations and our nation’s law enforcement officers see firsthand the depth and devastation of lives caused by the use of illicit drugs; and

WHEREAS, in America it is estimated that more than 20,000 drug-related deaths occur each year, and a recent study published by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) concluded the economic "costs of drug abuse have increased an average of 5.3 percent a year from 1992 through 2002" to an estimated total of $180.9 billion dollars. ("The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in the United States 1992-2002," Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy, December 2004); and

WHEREAS, law enforcement officers have a long history of working with the prevention and treatment community to ensure that citizens are well educated on the dangers of drug abuse; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has previously collaborated with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop training materials and facts that respond to the drug legalization movement (IACP/DEA, "A Police Chief’s Guide to the Legalization Issue," December 7, 2001); and

WHEREAS, a concentrated effort that brings together all of the involved constituent groups, including law enforcement, treatment, education, prevention, the medical community, civic organizations, faith-based community, and the business community, is critical to developing a collaborative strategy to prevent the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana and other dangerous drugs to combat the growing legalization movement; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly supports the urgent need for a multi-disciplinary anti-drug legalization summit to bring mutual constituent groups together to develop a cohesive national strategy to combat the drug legalization movement, and to keep our communities safe and drug free; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP is committed to work with all other interested and credible organizations in education, treatment, prevention, medical profession, faith-based community, industry, and civic organizations to host a summit and follow-up meetings as deemed necessary to develop a comprehensive strategy to fight drug legalization and ensure the safety of the communities that are currently at risk by the growing drug legalization movement.

WHEREAS, the many successes associated with the seizure of personal assets from local trafficking groups, while vitally important, have not been able to significantly deter the flow of drugs into the United States and other countries; and

WHEREAS, the predominant form of “money laundering” today in the United States and other countries is the movement of “bulk” currency; and

WHEREAS, numerous projects have shown that investigations focused on following the path of bulk currency from illegal drug sales back to the sources of drug supply, result in the identification and arrest of all levels of a drug organization, and significantly higher seizures of drug proceeds, thus depriving these drug trafficking organizations of funds to support ongoing drug operations; and

WHEREAS, the seizure of drug proceeds flowing back to sources of drug supply will have the most significant impact on their ability to produce more drugs for import into the United States; and

WHEREAS, following the investigative technique of exploiting and investigating intelligence from bulk cash interdictions offers significant potential for dramatically reducing the availability of illegal drugs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly encourages all law enforcement agencies to:

• Expand the traditional enforcement approach of "immediate currency seizures" to also include the collection, exploitation and investigation of intelligence on the movement of illegal drug proceeds from local drug trafficking organizations through all levels of the drug supply chain;
• Partner and collaborate with others to maximize the investigative potential of intelligence derived from the interdiction of drug proceeds flowing back to sources of drug supply;
• Coordinate with prosecutors to fully develop the investigative potential of this intelligence by allowing the continuation of investigative efforts across jurisdictional boundaries;
• Ensure that drug investigations are focused on fully exposing the entire drug organization; and
• Identify, develop and foster participation in training of this bulk currency investigative initiative.

WHEREAS, the use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, has been proven to harm the mental and physical development of children and young adults and result in criminal activity and convictions that harm the success of people in subsequent years; and

WHEREAS, "recent research makes a stronger case that cannabis smoking itself is a causal agent in psychiatric symptoms, particularly schizophrenia. During the past three years a number of prominent studies have strengthened our understanding of that association and found that the age when marijuana is first smoked is a crucial risk factor in later development of mental health problems." ("The Link Between Marijuana and Mental Illness, A Survey of Recent Research," Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy, May 3, 2005, pg 1); and

WHEREAS, the persistent substance abuse by young people often leads to academic difficulties, health-related problems (including mental health), poor peer relationships, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. ("Marijuana Use and Delinquent Behaviors Among Youth", The National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report (NSDU), Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, January 9, 2004, and "Age at First Use of Marijuana and Past Year Serious Mental Illness," NSDU, Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, May 3, 2005); and

WHEREAS, education about the hazards of drug abuse is an effective means to reduce drug abuse and thwart those who advocate the decriminalization of illegal substances. "Illicit drug use by Americans fell from an estimated 24 million users in 1979 to 13 million users in 1994. Education, leadership by example, and vigorous enforcement of the law made the difference." (IACP/DEA, "A Police Chief’s Guide to the Legalization Issue," December 7, 2001, pg 6); and

WHEREAS, educating the public about emerging substance abuse problems in their community is the most effective way to reduce illegal drug use and build local support for a community anti-drug effort. Educating residents about substance abuse problems is best accomplished by Chiefs of Police and other law enforcement leaders. "By bringing together key stakeholders of a community---from prevention specialists to parents and policymakers---community briefings ensure that the necessary individuals and organizations are part of the solution." ("Community Briefings: A Prevention Tool For Communities," Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America); now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls upon every Chief of Police and other law enforcement leaders to convene a local forum of educators, physicians, treatment professionals, anti-drug groups, faith-based groups, prosecutors, and law makers, to evaluate the extent of the drug problem in their community, and develop an ongoing strategy to combat it.

WHEREAS, the education of elementary, middle, and high school students about the hazards of drug use is an extremely important and effective way to reduce drug abuse; and

WHEREAS, "both failure in school and the perception of failing in school are linked to substance abuse as are higher rates of absenteeism and truancy among elementary, middle and high school students." (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. "Malignant Neglect: Substance Abuse and America’s Schools," September 2001); and

WHEREAS, such drug education must be based on proven programs that have demonstrated success in preventing or reducing drug abuse in schools; and

WHEREAS, in "1994 Congress directed the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education, to establish 'panels of appropriate qualified experts and practitioners' to evaluate educational programs and recommend to the Secretary of Education those programs that should be designated as exemplary or promising." (Education, Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994); and

WHEREAS, "The Safe and Drug-Free Schools (SDFS) program and OERI established the Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools Expert Panel in May 1998 (tasked to) develop and oversee a process for identifying and designating as promising and exemplary programs that promote safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools." (U.S. Department of Education, "Exemplary & Promising Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools Program," 2001); and

WHEREAS, the Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools Expert Panel reviewed a total of 124 programs and selected 9 exemplary and 33 promising programs in 2001. (U.S. Department of Education, "Exemplary & Promising Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools Program," 2001); and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), identifies and publishes model programs that have been "tested in communities, schools, social service organizations, and workplaces across America, and have provided solid proof that they have prevented or reduced substance abuse and other related high-risk behaviors."(SAMHSA Model Programs, available at www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov); and

WHEREAS, discipline in the schools for student violations of drug policies is most effective if consistent; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls upon state and local educational agencies to review and adopt model anti-drug education programs for all elementary, middle, and high schools.

WHEREAS, there is an organized and well-funded movement in the United States and other countries to legalize or decriminalize drugs using strategies of medical marijuana, industrial hemp, harm reduction, and needle exchange; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations Economic and Social Council has expressed concern about the trend towards the development of lenient policies relating to cannabis and other drugs that are not in accordance with international drug control treaties, and that such trends may have a negative impact on efforts being made to eradicate cannabis cultivation and to combat drug trafficking; (“Efforts to Counter the Trend Towards the Legalization of Drugs for Non-medical Use,” U.N, Economic and Social Council, 44th plenary meeting, 22 July 2003); and

WHEREAS, the International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy has issued a statement opposing “harm reduction” strategies that undermine “drug prevention efforts and messages by taking advantage of drug addiction and deadly diseases like HIV to advance the political agenda of drug legalization lobbyists and billionaire advocates” (“Statement on So-Called ‘Harm Reduction’ Policies,” International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy, Brussels, Belgium, March 1, 2005); and

WHEREAS, lenient drug policies in one country can adversely impact the flow of drugs into neighboring countries by increasing the level of cross-border drug trafficking; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly urges all countries to reject efforts to legalize drugs or pursue policies of “harm reduction” that are inconsistent with international drug control treaties and harmful to cross-border drug enforcement efforts in neighboring countries.

WHEREAS, the Southwest Border area is the principal arrival zone for most illicit drugs smuggled into the United States, as well as the predominant transit zone for the drugs' subsequent distribution throughout the country (“National Drug Threat Assessment,” National Drug Intelligence Center, February 2005); and

WHEREAS, in Fiscal Year 2004, the United States Department of Homeland Security apprehended an estimated 1,241,089 foreign nationals, of which 92 percent were natives of Mexico.

WHEREAS, the most common category of crime committed by aliens removed from the U.S. in Fiscal Year 2004 involved illegal drugs; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in a joint federal, state, and local law enforcement effort known as “Operation Community Shield,” has successfully targeted transnational violent street gangs operating in the U.S. with arrests that include drugs, firearms, and immigration offenses. The operation has resulted in the arrest of approximately 2,388 members of 239 different gangs, approximately 922 of which are from the street gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), along with the seizure of numerous firearms (DHS, Office of the Press Secretary, March 10, 2006, available at www.dhs.gov); and

WHEREAS, Mexican gangs commonly use drug trafficking as a means to finance their criminal activities. These gang drug trafficking organizations are often well organized, have an identifiable hierarchy, organized levels of command and control, and utilize sophisticated techniques and organizational processes to further drug trafficking efforts; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations Security Council has noted the close connection between international terrorism and transnational organized crime, illicit drugs, money-laundering, illegal arms-trafficking, and illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological, and other potentially deadly materials, and in this regard emphasizes the need to enhance coordination of efforts on national, sub-regional, regional, and international levels to strengthen a global response to this threat to international security (UN Security Council Resolution 1373, 2001); now, therefore be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls on all governments and law enforcement entities to work cooperatively in securing national borders to stem the illicit flow of drugs, persons, money, weapons and other dangerous contraband.