America vs. Drugs, Crime

The United States is a bureaucracy built by the people for the people. As a nation, we have established hundreds of organizations to deal with different problems and epidemics that may arise within our country. While every agency may have a different mission, they are all geared toward the betterment of American’s quality of life. Three of the biggest national problems our government faces are drugs, crime and immigration. Each one requires a different approach, strategy and the attention of local, state or federal level government.

The war on drugs has been an arduous, long fought battle, that doesn’t necessarily have a way to be won. There are many agencies in place to combat drug peddlers, some of these include: the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) ATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearm and Explosives) and even the FDA (Federal Drug Administration). Annually, the United State spends over $51,000,000,000 on the war on drugs. Tax revenue that drug legalization would yield annually, if currently-illegal drugs were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol and tobacco: $46.

7 billion. D. Baum, author of “Smoke and Mirrors: War on Drugs and The Politics of the Failure” claims that after “4 decades of punitive policies, illicit drugs are more easily obtained, drug potencies are greater, and drug barons are richer than ever. ” (1997) This war costs more than any other agency, and sometimes costs more than some agencies combined. While local government agencies try to fight with this war as best as they can, they do not have the resources or manpower to keep up with the costs of stopping said crimes.
It is unfortunate because the drug war affects local business to the point that inflation, high insurance premiums, and less travelers become a factor and negatively impact the area. While Federal Agencies are better suited to deal with the Drug War, Local Agencies have been more efficient in combatting general crime. Local Governments tend to understand their demographics more thoroughly, so they can make better use of their funds. Most, if not all, funding for law enforcement comes from grants or tax revenues.
Effective crime prevention in high-violence, high-risk neighborhoods begins with the interdependence of local agencies. These agencies need the ability to invest in the neighborhoods to prevent crime rates from rising. The most effective place to start is with children and their education; NCPC (National Crime Prevention Council) is an organization that’s mission it is to educate students and prevent crime. Illegal Immigration is the third problem facing our nation.
Like the above-mentioned epidemics, Immigration has federal agencies to prevent this. While there is no concrete solution to this problem, steps are being taken to fix the issue. Whether it is the e-verify program, or a fence to keep illegal aliens out, agencies are constantly trying to come with new solutions. The issue is so complex and difficult, that even the President is threatening to use an executive order to reform the U. S Immigration system. Also because of the complexity of this issue, Federal Agencies such as I. C.
E (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) CBP (Customs Border Patrol) Department of Labor or Homeland security offer the best solutions. Local Government usually don’t have the personnel to deal with immigration, as would a Federal Agency such as I. C. E, who have trained agents who specialize in that line of duty, and when faced with danger, know exactly how to carry out orders. All in all, Federal Agencies are usually more inclined to deal with our nation’s problems. It is important to never consolidate the agencies, so that each department can provide the best quality of service.
There will always be negative issues that jeopardize our freedom, but how we deal with them is what makes this nation so great. Bibliography Lawrence, S. , & Godfrey, D. (2004, March 2). PREVENTING CRIME: WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN’T, WHAT’S PROMISING1. . Retrieved June 29, 2014, from https://www. ncjrs. gov/works/wholedoc. htm Sterling, E. (2013, July 1). Eleven Ways the War on Drugs is Hurting Your Business. . Retrieved June 28, 2014, from http://www. cjpf. org/11ways Drug War Statisitc. (n. d. ). . Retrieved June 29, 2014, from http://www. drugpolicy. org/drug-war-statistics