ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book investigates law enforcement. Drugs, or drug traffickers, have been one of the primary driving forces behind advances in the law and in policing since the 1980s. The book reviews the philosophical and practical arguments for and against drug legalisation. This hardy perennial in media and public debate attests to the degree of interest in the subject, even though the arguments are often tautological. The book presents research on drug referral schemes across the country, now more commonly known as arrest referral schemes. It outlines context and describes the development and assessment of referral in three areas, Trafford, Southwark and Merseyside. The book explores some local referral schemes in action and identifies common problems that have recurred, as well as suggesting the scope and role of referral schemes within multi-agency collaboration.
