WHEREAS, the use of the Internet to buy medicine and medical products has grown rapidly and so has the number of websites selling products illegally; and

WHEREAS, many consumers benefit from the convenience and privacy of this new option. Unfortunately, both consumers and legitimate pharmacies are now being threatened by “rogue sites of fraudulent or disreputable Internet businesses that sell products illegally” (“Consumer Education: Buying Medicine and Medical Products Over the Internet,” available at www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo); and

WHEREAS, the illicit trade over the Internet has been identified as one of the major sources for prescription medications abused by children and adolescents in the United States (“Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2004,” U.N. 2005, available at www.incb.org); and

WHEREAS, investigations carried out in the United States and in a number of European countries revealed that purchases from illicit Internet pharmacies are more expensive than purchases from licensed pharmacies, and customers of illicit Internet pharmacies cannot rely on the authenticity and quality of the pharmaceuticals sold, which may even include counterfeit drugs (“Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2004,” U.N. 2005, available at www.incb.org); and

WHEREAS, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has developed a toll-free international hotline for the public to anonymously report the illegal sale and abuse of prescription drugs, and has developed an online consumer alert warning buyers that online purchases may be illegal and dangerous; and

WHEREAS, the International Narcotics Control Board has concluded that efforts need to be made to educate the general public about the dangers involved in abusing pharmaceutical products containing controlled drugs and to make consumers aware that such purchases not only constitute a breach of law, but are also potentially dangerous to their health, because there is little or no quality control (“Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2004,” U.N. 2005, available at www.incb.org); now, therefore be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls upon all law enforcement agencies to provide training and raise public awareness on the legal and safety consequences associated with Internet purchases of pharmaceuticals.

WHEREAS, the non-medical use or abuse of prescription drugs has been growing at an alarming rate in the United States and is a serious public health and law enforcement problem; and

WHEREAS, the abuse of prescription drugs, including OxyContin (oxycodone), has become the second most prevalent form of drug abuse (National Drug Control Strategy, February 2006); and 

WHEREAS, since 2001, there has been a 25 percent increase in the annual abuse of sedatives/barbiturates among 12th graders (“NIDA InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends,” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005); and WHEREAS, according to a 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 6.3 million persons, or 2.7 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 and older, had used prescription psychotherapeutic medications nonmedically in the month prior to being surveyed (“NIDA InfoFacts: Prescription Pain and Other Medications,” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005); and

WHEREAS, in 2003, approximately 2.8 million people aged 12 and older had used “OxyContin” nonmedically at least once in their lifetimes, which was a significant increase from 2002 (“NIDA InfoFacts: Prescription Pain and Other Medications,” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005); and

WHEREAS, educating the public about emerging substance abuse problems 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 (“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 strongly urges the support and promotion of education and awareness programs designed to combat the growing prescription drug abuse problem in the United States.

WHEREAS, every twenty minutes drugs take another life in the United States; and

WHEREAS, educating the public about the lessons learned from drug abuse prevention and treatment research, including the special dangers faced by adolescents, is an effective way to reduce illegal drug use and build local support for community anti-drug efforts; and

WHEREAS, every life extinguished or derailed by substance abuse is a tragic loss of promise and potential to a community, and a particularly painful loss to the families and friends left behind; and

WHEREAS, on June 8, 2006, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the Partnership for a Drug Free America, National Families in Action and the Drug-Free Kids organization sponsored a candlelight vigil to honor those who have lost their lives to drugs and in support of those left behind; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls upon its members to work with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to encourage vigils in local communities modeled after the June 8, 2006 candlelight vigil held at DEA Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

WHEREAS, the availability of diverted pharmaceutical drugs is high and increasing, fueled by increases in both the number of illegal online pharmacies and commercial disbursements within the legitimate pharmaceutical distribution chain (National Drug Threat Assessment, 2007); and

WHEREAS, the nonmedical use of prescription drugs is now the second largest form of illicit drug abuse in the United States as measured by prevalence (National Drug Control Strategy, February 2007); and

WHEREAS, approximately 6.4 million people use controlled-substance prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes, with 4.7 million misusing pain relievers (National Drug Control Strategy, February 2007); and

WHEREAS, the nonmedical use of pain relievers among 18- to 25-year olds increased by 15 percent from 2002 to 2005 (National Drug Control Strategy, February 2007); and

WHEREAS, prescription drug abuse led all other drug categories in new initiates in 2004 and 2005 (National Drug Control Strategy, February 2007); and

WHEREAS, educating the public about emerging substance abuse problems is the most effective way to reduce illegal drug abuse and build local support for a community antidrug effort. Educating residents about substance abuse problems is best accomplished by chiefs of police and other law enforcement leaders (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 duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, continues to strongly urge support and promotion of education and awareness programs designed to combat the growing prescription drug abuse problem in the United States.

Submitted by Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs Committee

NDD.028.a07

Support for Creating a Community Dialogue to Discuss Nonpunitive Student Drug Testing for Early Intervention

                                                                 NDD.029.a07

WHEREAS, the identification at an early stage of school age children who are involved with substance abuse is important to effective treatment and also reduces risks to their health and ability to learn; and

WHEREAS, 51 percent of high school and 20 percent of middle school students say they attend a school where drugs are used, kept ,or sold (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, August 2006: National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XI, Teen and Parents); and

WHEREAS, of those students who reported carrying a gun to school, 70.6 percent report using liquor, 63.9 percent report using marijuana, 39.9 percent report using cocaine, and 36.8 percent report using crystal meth in the past year (Pride Surveys Report: 2005-2006 National Summary 3.13 Carrying a Gun to School); and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County et al. v Earls et al., 536 U.S. 822 (2002) upheld a drug-testing program for students involved in competitive extracurricular activities; and

WHEREAS, the expectation that students may be randomly tested is enough to make some students stop using drugs or never start in the first place(What You Need to Know About Drug Testing in Schools, Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2002, pg 4); and

WHEREAS, random drug testing offers students a good excuse to say no to peer pressure to use drugs, and a convenient out given the consequences of a positive drug test to participating in extracurricular activities.(What You Need to Know about Drug Testing in Schools, Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2002, pg 4); and

WHEREAS, schools that have implemented nondisciplinary student drug testing programs have found the programs to be effective in reducing drug use and improving the learning environment for all students. (Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., Preliminary Study of Student Drug Testing Programs: for the U.S. Department of Education, August 2002. DuPont, Robert L. M.D., et al.); and

WHEREAS, a 2003 survey of Indiana high school principals found that 94 percent believed the random drug-testing policy to be effective in discouraging drug and alcohol use by students. (McKinney, Joseph R., J.D., Ed. D The Effectiveness of Random Drug Testing Programs: A Statewide Follow-up Study,2003); and WHEREAS, in 2005 the state of New Jersey enacted legislation authorizing the adoption of substance abuse testing policies in public school districts; and

WHEREAS, in 2003 the Virginia Assembly passed legislation modifying the Code of Virginia relating to schools to include provisions for student drug-testing programs; and

WHEREAS, the author of a 2005 follow-up survey of Indiana high school principals concluded that random student drug testing (RSDT) programs are effective in deterring, reducing, and detecting illegal drug use among students.(McKinney, Joseph R., J.D., Ed. D., Dept. of Educational Leadership, Ball State Univ., The Effectiveness and Legality of Random Student Drug Testing Programs Revisited,2006); and

WHEREAS, the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) supports school drug-testing programs as effective drug and crime prevention strategies. The NDAA encourages community collaboration among district attorneys, schools, law enforcement agencies, drug prevention and treatment agencies, and other stakeholders to offer school-based drug testing and assistance programs that discourage drug use among youth prior to the need for law enforcement involvement. Drug testing programs should be part of a comprehensive school-based approach to reduce drug use, rather than a stand-alone strategy.(National District Attorneys Association, Policy Positions on Drug Control and Enforcement, Adopted March 20, 2004, available at www.ndaa-apri.org); and

WHEREAS, schools that have implemented non-disciplinary student drug testing programs have reported various successful outcomes including a decrease in student drug use and student disciplinary problems. (Preliminary Study of Student Drug Testing Programs for the U.S. Department of Education, August 2002); now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, encourages all law enforcement agencies to work with their educational, health, and community leaders to discuss if student drug testing is an appropriate part of a comprehensive approach to reduce drug abuse

                                      Support for El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC)

                                                               NDD.021.a07

WHEREAS, state and local police are often the first to respond to a terrorist attack and are most likely to chance encounter individuals involved with terrorist organizations during routine police work; and

WHEREAS, an essential part of expanding the traditional law enforcement approach to criminal investigations is to ensure that investigative steps fully exploit available information sharing systems; and

WHEREAS, compiling and sharing a wide range of investigative information will help ensure that investigative links are made to organized drug trafficking and related crimes to the maximum extent possible; and

WHEREAS, the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), which began in 1974 and now includes 15 federal agencies along with information sharing agreements with law enforcement agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Canada, has successfully proven the benefits of cooperative information sharing among all levels of law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, the National Seizure System (NSS) operated from EPIC allows law enforcement to identify and coordinate disparate information and target crime organization leaders for investigation and prosecution. (The President National Drug Control Strategy, Chapter III: Disrupting the Market for Illicit Drugs, February 2007); now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, calls on all law enforcement agencies to routinely provide information on seizures of drugs, money, and other contraband to EPICs National Seizure System (NSS).

                                                                        CPC.012.a07

WHEREAS, the law enforcement community is concerned with the magnitude of drug abuse, illicit production, and trafficking in narcotics, that threaten the health and well being of millions of persons, in particular youth, in all countries of the world; and

WHEREAS, the law enforcement community is extremely alarmed by the growing violence associated with illicit drug distribution and use, which has an immeasurable cost to society in terms of lost productivity, property loss, criminal justice expense, and human suffering; and

WHEREAS, the use of illegal drugs 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, several studies have shown that 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; and

WHEREAS, prevention strategies can vary widely and generally are associated with community-based collaborations, education, alternative behaviors, and primary and early invention activities. According to the Office of National Drug Control Program, Helping coalitions sustain their community wide strategies can help reduce substance use at the local level. Consistent messages across multiple sectors of the community will, over time, produce young people capable of making healthy life choices; and

WHEREAS, recognizing that the problems caused by substance abuse and illicit trafficking can only be resolved through a balanced and integrated approach with many different parts of society; 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 evaluate the extent of the drug problem in their community and develop an ongoing strategy to combat it, by establishing, nurturing, and maintaining partnerships with anti-drug programs, activities, and coalitions in their communities.

WHEREAS, hidden compartments or concealed traps have been a long-standing method of operation by smugglers to conceal various types of contraband, including drugs, money, and related contraband; and

WHEREAS, traffickers smuggling their product and/or illegal proceeds into or through the United States use many low- and high-tech methods to conceal both their intent and their contraband from law enforcement authorities, which are often difficult to identify at busy border points of entry; and

WHEREAS, traffickers will continue to adapt and use different vehicles, more sophisticated traps, and concealment locations in an attempt to change their profiles and respond to law enforcement's identification and targeting of favorite vehicles; and

WHEREAS, new and even more sophisticated traps are virtually assured as various associated technologies, such as miniaturization, are refined. The miniaturization of trap components, such as electric motors, actuators, and hydraulic pistons, will allow fabricators to place traps in areas previously denied due to size constraints; and

WHEREAS, given this trend to use increasingly sophisticated traps, there is a need for increased training for law enforcement officers to detect concealed compartments; and

WHEREAS, the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) is a National Center supporting federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement through information sharing, analysis, coordination, and de-confliction; and

WHEREAS, EPIC publishes the EPIC Transportation Unit Bulletin series that often addresses newly encountered concealment methods based on information obtained from law enforcement reports, open sources, and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Investigative Support Center (ISC) reports, among others; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, encourages all international law enforcement agencies to develop similar systems to identify and share intelligence information about traps and concealed compartments; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that all United States law enforcement agencies are encouraged to have officers look for concealed traps and hidden compartments during routine stops and to report all hidden compartments, regardless of whether a seizure occurs, to EPIC.

Submitted by: Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs Committee

NDD.025.a07

NDD.027.a07

WHEREAS, there is a recognized need for state and local law enforcement agencies to focus on the community impact of an individual drug investigation; and

WHEREAS, individual seizures of drugs or money, while vitally important, will not significantly deter the flow of drugs into the United States or substantially disrupt drug trafficking organizations; and

WHEREAS, a global view recognizes that a collaborative law enforcement approach that leverages information sharing systems such as the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) and an investigative strategy that follows the drug proceeds back to the sources of supply will have the most significant overall law enforcement and community impact; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations Security Council has noted the close connection between international terrorism and transnational organized crime, including illicit drug trafficking and money laundering (UN Security Council Resolution 1373 [2001]); 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 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; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, encourages, where possible, the adoption of a global view to all drug trafficking seizures and investigations to fully exploit all available investigative leads, information, and links to other active investigations.

NDD.023.a07

WHEREAS, border zones are the principal arrival point for most illicit drugs and other dangerous contraband into the United States and represent key transit points for the movement of illegal drug proceeds (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2007 National Drug Threat Assessment); 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 potentially deadly materials and the need to enhance coordination (UN Security Council Resolution 1373 [2001]); and

WHEREAS, the southern border of the United States is a region particularly vulnerable to cross-border criminal enterprises and related violence, an area that has recently experienced a surge in brutality by drug and human smuggling, and by trafficking organizations along the Southwest border (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Fact Sheet, March 1, 2006); and

WHEREAS, during Fiscal Year 2005 there were more than 750 assaults against border patrol agents, an increase of 108 percent from the previous year (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Today, June/July 2006); and

WHEREAS, in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2007, which began October 1 and ended December 31, Yuma sector border patrol agents have been the victims of border violence 86 times a 59 percent increase compared to 51 incidents during the same period in FY 2006 (U.S. Customs and Border Protection new release, January 17, 2007); now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, encourages Congress to fund sufficient northern and southern border security measures, to include increased use of surveillance cameras and other appropriate means to improve the apprehension of drug smugglers, illegal aliens, and terrorists, among others, and to increase Border Patrol Officer safety

NDD.026.a07

WHEREAS, methamphetamine precursors such as pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and pharmaceutical preparations containing these substances (commonly known as combination products)continue to pose a significant problem in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and around the world; and,

WHEREAS, in response to the increased threat from methamphetamine, U.S. law enforcement agencies have increased their efforts both domestically and internationally to stem the flow of methamphetamine and the precursors that are used to produce it; and

WHEREAS, within the past two years, 35 states have imposed new regulations on the retail sale of the methamphetamine precursor pseudoephedrine and preparations that contain pseudoephedrine; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress has also recently codified steps to combat methamphetamine production and precursor diversion through the passage of the Combat Methamphetamine Act; and

WHEREAS, in mid-March 2006, the UN's 49th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) met in Vienna, Austria, and passed a United States-sponsored resolution on precursor chemical control (Resolution 49/3 Strengthening systems for the control of precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of synthetic drugs, available at http://www.unodc.org/unodc/cnd.html ); and

WHEREAS, while recognizing that great strides have already been made to address this significant problem, much work remains to be done to regulate the bulk sales of combination products containing the essential precursor chemicals used to produce methamphetamine; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, encourages international organizations to identify and support the need for increased regulation and control of combination products containing the essential precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine.

NDD.022.a07

WHEREAS, in 2005, extraditions from Mexico to the United States reached an all-time high, with the Government of Mexico (GOM) extraditing 41 fugitives to the United States, compared with 34 during the previous year (U.S. Department of State, International Narcotics Strategy Control Report, March 2006); and

WHEREAS, in November 2005, the Supreme Court of Mexico reversed a ruling that had prohibited Mexico extradition of fugitives facing life imprisonment without parole, which facilitated the extradition from Mexico of fugitives charged with narcotics and violent crimes; and

WHEREAS, in July 2006, Mexican authorities extradited five criminals to the United States to face charges, including one from the FBIs Ten most Wanted Fugitive List (Press Release, July 7, 2006, Embassy of the U.S., Mexico); and

WHEREAS, in 2006, Mexican authorities extradited 63 fugitives to the United States, making it the fifth consecutive record year. Of the total number of extraditions, 30 were for narcotics related offenses in the United States and 47 were Mexican citizens (U.S. Department of State, International Narcotics Strategy Control Report, March 2007); and

WHEREAS, in January 2007, Jorge Arroyo-Garcia, accused of killing a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff during a routine traffic stop in 2002 was extradited from Mexico to the United States to face trial (U.S. Marshals Service Press Release, January 7, 2007); and

WHEREAS, in January 2007, for the first time, Mexico extradited several high-level drug traffickers whose extraditions had been delayed due to judicial appeals or pending charges, including Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the leader of the Gulf cartel; Jesus Hector Palma Salazar of the Sinaloa cartel; and Ismael and Gilberto Higuera Guerrero of the Arellano Felix Organization, among others (U.S. Department of State, International Narcotics Strategy Control Report, March 2007); now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, encourages and supports the continued cooperative international law enforcement efforts between Mexico and the United States.