The foremost challenge confronting U.S. law enforcement is the diminishing ability to conduct lawful electronic intercepts on current and emerging communications technologies as communications providers continue to offer new and improved services and features to customers. If this problem is not addressed, no law enforcement agency will be able to conduct a lawful criminal intercept in the not-distant future. The Department of Justice has proposed the FY 2012 Electronic Surveillance Capabilities initiative, which will provide resources for custom intercept solutions and upgraded infrastructure equipment.

Here's DOJ's budget for the FY 2012 Electronic Surveillance Capabilities initiative.

To address the growing technological gap between law enforcement’s electronic surveillance capabilities and the number and variety of communications devices available to the public, the Department is requesting $17.0 million and 37 positions. Of this amount, $15.0 million will support the establishment of the Domestic Communications Assistance Center (DCAC) under the FBI. The DCAC would leverage existing research and development efforts of federal law enforcement, facilitate the sharing of technology between law enforcement agencies, strengthen compliance with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), and seek to build more effective relations with the communications industry.

So we're getting Domestic Communications Assistance Center at a cost of $15 million. It breaks down as:

FBI:

Electronic Surveillance Capabilities: $12.5 million and 13 positions (3 agents) The Department has been working to identify the challenges and to propose solutions related to law enforcement’s electronic surveillance capabilities. The Department’s FY 2012 Budget includes resources to establish a Domestic Communications Assistance Center to help address some of these challenges. Within the total Department initiative, 13 positions (3 agents) and $12.5 million is proposed for the FBI. FY 2012 current services for this initiative are 45 positions (5 agents) and $41.7 million.

DEA:

Electronic Surveillance Capabilities: $1.5 million and 8 positions (6 agents) The Department has been working to identify the challenges and to propose solutions related to law enforcement’s electronic surveillance capabilities. The Department’s FY 2012 Budget includes resources to establish a Domestic Communications Assistance Center to help address some of these challenges. Within the total Department initiative, 8 positions (6 agents) and $1.51 million are proposed for DEA.

ATF:

Electronic Surveillance Capabilities: $1.5 million and 8 positions (6 agents) The Department has been working to identify the challenges and to propose solutions related to law enforcement’s electronic surveillance capabilities. The Department’s FY 2012 Budget includes resources to establish a Domestic Communications Assistance Center to help address some of these challenges. Within the total Department initiative, 8 positions (6 agents), and $1.5 million is proposed for ATF.

U.S. Marshal's Service:

Electronic Surveillance Capabilities: $1.5 million and 8 positions (6 agents) The Department has been working to identify the challenges and to propose solutions related to law enforcement’s electronic surveillance capabilities. The Department’s FY 2012 Budget includes resources to establish a Domestic Communications Assistance Center to help address some of these challenges. Within the total Department initiative, 8 positions (including 6 Deputy Marshals) and $1.5 million are proposed for USMS.

What exactly is the purpose of this $15 million Domestic Communications Assistance Center? The DEA Budget explains at page 83:

The Domestic Communications Assistance Center would strengthen and centralize Law Enforcement Coordination, Technology Sharing, CALEA Implementation, and Industry Relations. The DCAC will serve as a hub for the management of knowledge and technical expertise regarding lawful electronic surveillance, facilitate the sharing of solutions and know-how among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, and improve relations with industry. The four operational units are:

Law Enforcement Coordination – This unit would identify law enforcement needs related to a specific communications service or provider and direct DCAC resources to address those needs. With input from federal, state, and local law enforcement, the DCAC would be directed toward addressing the more pressing needs for all of law enforcement.

Technology Sharing – This unit would serve as a resource center that can identify technical capabilities for use by federal, state and local law enforcement. In addition, the unit would assist the customer agency by making referrals to agencies with the requisite technical tools or expertise.

CALEA Implementation – This unit would be detailed from the FBI, which is currently responsible for implementing CALEA, to the DCAC. The unit would be expanded to more effectively test and evaluate CALEA-mandated solutions and identify deficiencies in industry-developed technical standards.

Industry Relations – Through this unit, the DCAC would be capable of representing consensus law enforcement positions and would focus and prioritize requests made to industry by law enforcement.

Of course, this is separate from other DEA projects to bolster intelligence gathering. Its budget contains $10 million for EPIC:

EPIC is DEA’s most important intelligence sharing organization focusing on the Southwest Border. EPIC’s mission is to support United States law enforcement and interdiction components through timely analysis and dissemination of intelligence on illicit drug and alien movements and the criminal organizations responsible for these illegal activities. In carrying out this mission, EPIC provides intelligence to law enforcement officials at all levels of government throughout the U.S. and in some foreign nations. DEA requests $10,000,000 in no-year construction funding to expand the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC).

Turns out the $10 million is just an estimate of building construction costs to be able to house an additional 100 employees. It's for " modular buildings (semipermanent structures) and interior alterations."

DEA anticipates that an additional 100 staff can be accommodated to help keep pace with EPIC’s anticipated growth. Once the A/E study is completed, DEA will have a more detailed report on how this expansion space will be designed and constructed. DEA will factor in costs alterations and infrastructure requirements (electric, water, sewer, utilities, foundations, parking, storm run-off, permitting, etc.) to ensure that they are accounted for within the amount requested ($10,000,000).

EPIC has 414 workstations. So to give it 514, we're going to pay $10 million because it's just out of space.

ICE recently took over the Bulk Cash Smuggling department at EPIC. So ICE needs more room at EPIC too, to be better able to distribute the intelligence it collects on our financial activities:

Furthermore, it will provide all law enforcement agencies (Federal and State) with a single repository that is capable of providing reports and analysis for restricted and unrestricted records.

The DEA has DEA has 82 foreign offices in 62 countries. It has 1,165 sub-regional office locations. It's going to relocate up to 7 offices (but not let any agents go) to save some rent money. How much? $395,000. Out of $204 million.

The DEA has more than 10,000 employees, including approximately 6,000 sworn domestic law enforcement officers, of which 3,800 are onboard DEA special agents and 2,200 are cross-designated, state or local Task Force Officers (TFOs). The TFOs comprise more than one-third of DEA’s entire domestic investigative workforce. The DEA is going to shutter 25 to 31 of the lowest performing task forces and save another $292,000.

The grand total of the 2012 DEA budget: $2.6 billion.

The DEA brags about its information sharing program with Mexico and willingness to train Mexican cops, both at Quantico and in Mexico.

DEA develops partnerships with host nation counterparts to stand up and train vetted units of foreign law enforcement officers with whom DEA works and shares information. DEA also conducts training for host country police agencies at the DEA training facilities in Quantico, Virginia and on-site in the host countries.

What does Mexico give in return? Its corrupt police help drug inmates escape from prison. From today's news:

Seven prisoners have been killed and 59 others have escaped after a riot at a jail in northern Mexico near the US border, officials say. Five guards are also missing and are believed to have aided the mass prison breakout in Nuevo Laredo town. Mexican police say the majority of those on the run are drug traffickers and members of armed gangs.

Is all the money we're throwing into the war on drugs --$26.2 billion this year -- necessary?

In 2009, an estimated 21.8 million Americans were current illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview. This figure represents 8.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older. Of these users, 7.1 million were classified as being dependent on or abusing illicit drugs within the past year.

Of those 21.8 million, the drug being used by 16.7 million of them is marijuana. The DEA budget says this about marijuana:

Recently, efforts to legalize marijuana have increased. Keeping drugs illegal reduces their availability and lessens willingness to use them. Legalizing drugs would increase accessibility and encourage promotion and acceptance of use. Diagnostic, laboratory, clinical, and epidemiological studies clearly indicate that marijuana use is associated with dependence, respiratory and mental illness, poor motor performance, and cognitive impairment, among other negative effects, and legalization would only exacerbate these problems.

Out of a total population of 312.7 million, 7.1 million people are drug abusers or drug dependent, according to the DEA.The President's total drug budget is $26.2 billion. How is that a sensible use of our money, in these times of budgetary crisis?