In most every law enforcement agency in our cities and towns, there is a Drug Investigation Unit. This division of the police department is very vital to keeping our streets safer from drug dealers and their organizations. These individuals risk their lives for our safety, and they must be armed with skills that will keep them alive.
The job of the Drug Investigation Unit is to gather information from several resources including informants and community residents to seek out drug houses in order to raid and dismantle them. They have to rely on these resources to give them target areas to invade and investigate for drugs.
When describing the job of the Drug Investigation Unit, it is said best by the Portland Police Bureau who states:
"The primary objective of the unit is to conduct investigations with the purpose of arresting drug dealers and seizing assets acquired through illegal means. The primary focus of the enforcement effort is directed towards mid-level (wholesale) drug dealers. However, investigations range from arresting street level dealers, shutting down crack houses, and arresting kilogram level dealers. The Drug Investigation Unit investigates all types of illegal narcotics including marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and illegal prescription drugs." [1]
This job needs very specific training that will help to keep officers both safe and alert. This training can be found online in some places, but I have found two great places for you. These places offer eTraining for the drug investigator or those who work in the Drug Investigation Unit.
Most classes are offered in house or as a seminar at a location designated when it comes to this type of training. Most places offer drug investigation training to you as an attendee or in person throughout the country year round. There are a few places that offer this training online ,and this article will suggest two of those places to you.
Multi-jurisdictional CounterDrug Task Force Training
Multi-jurisdictional CounterDrug Task Force Training is an organization that is located in St. Petersburg, Florida. This training operation is a tuition-free highly organized drug training program that is funded by the Department of Defense. There are others that participate in this training programs funding including St. Petersburg College and the Florida National Guard.
What I find unique about their eTraining program is that it is divided into two separate courses: Introduction to Patrol Drug Investigations and Introduction to Highway & Rural Drug Investigations. You may or may not need both courses; they are broken down and might apply to some and others the both of them will not.
Drug Interdiction Training
The second resource is on a site called Drug Interdiction Training. This site has podcasts, e-books, and videos all developed by fellow officers. This site is dedicated to training officers at their own convenience and in several different formats. Your choice in format whether it is an e-book sent to your laptop or download a podcasts to listen to while you jog.
Regardless of which training resource you choose as an officer. Please know that we appreciate you and the work that you do. We appreciate your brave hearts facing the ugliness in our communities daily for our safety.
Cited Sources:
[1] "Drug Investigations Unit". Portland Police Bureau. October 27, 2009 <http://www.portlandonline.com/police/index.cfm?c=30560&a=34117>.
Resources:
Introduction to Patrol Drug Investigations: http://www.mctft.com/edrug_training/view_course.aspx?courseNumber=MCD0151
Introduction to Highway & Rural Drug Investigations: http://www.mctft.com/edrug_training/view_course.aspx?courseNumber=MCD0157
Drug Interdiction Training: http://www.druginterdictiontraining.com/