Law enforcement : a tool to combat the drug problem

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to examine the effectiveness of existing systems to combat the problem of drugs in Malta and to propose ways of how such attempts may be consolidated and upgraded. In addition to this, the dissertation will focus on the crucial preventive aspect of national drug control policy highlighting the role of law enforcement and security as a means of preventing drug abuse together with the systems (including the local and international legal frameworks) used by the Maltese law enforcement agencies to proven such abuse. The first part of the dissertation will focus on an in-depth analysis of the literature and the documents that have characterised writings on 'the war on drugs' in this century. This approach will support an overview of the major developments of what happened in the international and in the local sphere in this area. This will be followed by the presentation of the methodology and findings of a small scale survey of the Maltese security forces who are in the front line against drug trafficking, namely the Police, the Armed Forces and the Customs department. These findings will hopefully highlight what facilitates or hinders the people involved in this field. Finally, the data and information elicited from this field research and from the literature and document review will serve as the basis for a series of recommendations on management and administrative policies aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of enforcement agencies.