SUPPORTING STATEMENT
Drug Enforcement Administration National Drug Threat Survey
OMB No. 1117-0052
Necessity of Information
In
June 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assumed the
responsibilities for producing domestic strategic intelligence from
the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). DEA is
congressionally mandated to prepare “high priority strategic
drug intelligence,” in order to provide policymakers with the
most current information on availability, demand, production,
cultivation, transportation, and distribution of illicit drug in the
United States, as well as the effects of drugs on abusers and
society. DEA produces the National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA) on
an annual basis and disseminates it to policymakers, law enforcement
personnel, the U.S. Intelligence Community, and health/treatment
providers at the federal, state, and local levels. This assessment
draws upon a broad range of information sources to describe and
analyze the domestic illicit drug threat.
Additionally, DEA produces national level topical assessments regarding specific drug threats, such as the 2015 National Heroin Threat Assessment (NHTA) and the 2016 National Methamphetamine Threat Assessment (NMTA), based on DEA and reporting from law enforcement, intelligence, and public health sources, along with open source information. These products provide federal, state, and local policymakers and law enforcement decision makers with information to assist in forming counterdrug policy and plans, and to allocate resources in the fight against illegal drugs.
One critical mechanism by which information is obtained for these reports is the National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS). The NDTS was formerly administered by NDIC and is now administered by DEA. To ensure the accuracy of data obtained through the NDTS, DEA annually verifies the appropriate point-of-contact (POC) at each law enforcement agency (LEA) selected in the NDTS sample to ensure the most accurate data is obtained via the survey.
Needs and Uses
The
information requested of state, local, and tribal law enforcement
and counterdrug agencies through the NDTS, combined with other
Federal, state, and local information, is used to present an
accurate picture of the national drug threat. NDTS statistical
estimates are used by DEA analysts to corroborate and verify
anecdotal drug intelligence obtained from various sources, and are
documented in the NDTA, and have also been used in the NHTA and
NMTA. In addition to supporting DEA products targeted to counterdrug
policymakers, the statistical estimates derived from NDTS response
data also are used by federal, state, and local agencies in support
of counterdrug and public health programs.
Use of Technology
The use of this NDTS will provide the most efficient means for collecting and processing the required data. In 2016, the NDTS transitioned to an online platform since many local agencies have the capability to respond to the survey electronically. A PDF form that can be completed electronically or by mail and returned to DEA via email, mail or facsimile will be available for respondents without the capability to respond via the online platform. Respondents will be urged to respond electronically, whenever possible, through notification letters and reminders sent to survey recipients via email or facsimile.
Efforts to Identify Duplication
The NDTS was designed and developed in response to the lack of reliable data that could be used as a comprehensive measure to corroborate anecdotal qualitative data that is germane to the intelligence collection and reporting process. DEA will continue to track survey responses.
Federal drug enforcement data sources generally do not provide comprehensive data on specific drug trafficking activities, such as the availability of specific drugs or threat associated with the trafficking of specific illicit drugs. Generally, federal drug-related databases contain information related to specific program parameters (e.g., number of drug investigations initiated) or provide data that cannot be accurately summarized across regions and states. Information that can be used to produce statistical estimates of the perspective of state and local law enforcement charged with enforcing drug laws within their jurisdictions provides a “ground up” view of the drug problem in the United States. This information can be integrated with higher level federal data, information, and intelligence providing a “top down” view of the problem to enable DEA analysts to develop comprehensive domestic strategic drug intelligence.
The DEA Intelligence Program is consulting with the National High-Intensity Drug Threat Area (HIDTA) Program to determine the future viability of consolidating the NDTS with annual HIDTA drug threat surveys, however, at the current time it is not possible given the existing differences in survey respondents and survey content (questions asked / responses provided). The 2015 deployment of the online version of the NDTS and the proposed 2017 expansion of the NDTS respondent pool are expected to bring the NDTS and HIDTA survey instruments closer in line, although additional consultation with the HIDTA Program will be required in 2017-2018 before consolidation into a single survey instrument will be possible.
Methods to Minimize Burden on Small Businesses
This collection of information will not have an impact on small businesses or entities.
Consequences of Less Frequent Collection
The use of this information provides several benefits to both the provider and DEA. The information received is analyzed and included in an intelligence product that is shared with federal, state, and local law enforcement entities, thus providing a complete picture of the national, regional and local drug threat. If NDTS data is not collected, the assessment of the threat of specific drugs to the US cannot be fully assessed and policymakers will have less reliable and less comprehensive information on which to base their decisions. The input of state and local law enforcement agencies will be missing, agencies that are on the “front lines” of drug enforcement and carry out the strategic policies and programs designed by policymakers. The emerging drug trafficking trends and patterns that are either identified and/or verified through the collection of NDTS data will not be presented in their proper perspective to policymakers, who are responsible for allocating federal resources to combat the trafficking of illicit drugs in the United States.
Special Circumstances Influencing Collection
There are no special circumstances applicable to this information collection.
Reasons for Inconsistencies with 5 CFR 1320.6
There are no inconsistencies with 5 CFR 1320.6.
Payments or Gift to Claimants
There are no payments or gifts to respondents.
Assurance of Confidentiality
There is no assurance of confidentiality.
Justification for Sensitive Questions
There are no sensitive questions.
Estimate of Hour Burden
Annual Reporting Burden
a. Number of Respondents 12,782
b. Number of Responses per Respondent 1
c. Total Annual Response 12,782
d. Hours per Response 0.33
e. Total Annual Report Burden 4,218
It is estimated the survey will take the average respondent 0.33 hour to complete, including time for reviewing instructions, completing, reviewing, and submitting the requested information.
Total Annual Reporting Burden
Total annual reporting burden hours are 4,218. This figure was derived by multiplying the number of respondents (12,782) x frequency of response (1) x hours per response (0.33). The estimate time for response is a conservative estimate. The technology available to the respondent will further reduce response time.
Estimate of Cost Burden
There are no capital or start-up costs associated with this information collection as the systems and protocols are already in place. There is no fee associated with this information collection. DEA will include a self-addressed stamped envelope in with the surveys that will be mailed; therefore, the respondents will incur no associated mailing costs. The cost of the self-addressed stamped envelopes is included in the printing/mailing costs in the Annualized Cost Analysis.
Estimated Annualized Costs to Federal Government
Annualized Cost Analysis
MAX Survey $ TBD
Collection and Processing/Staff Support Costs $ 72,000
Total Cost to Government $ TBD
The collection and processing/staff support costs are part of each employees regular/assigned work hours.
Government Cost
The estimated cost to the Government is $TBD. This figure includes an estimate of partial annual salaries (including overhead) for the NDTS program administrator, assistant program administrator, and a statistician. Also included is the cost of verification and follow-up activities performed by DEA Domestic Strategic Unit (NTSD) personnel. In addition, this figure includes the annual cost for using the online platform MAX Survey
Reasons for Change in Burden
DEA intends to use NDTS response data for several purposes. DEA analysts will use NDTS data to corroborate drug intelligence data obtained from other sources that include: federal drug investigations initiated and conducted through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement (OCDETF) Task Forces program administered by the Department of Justice; federal drug seizure data collected through the National Seizure System maintained by the DEA El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC); national level drug demand and usage studies conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services that include the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports on drug overdose deaths, and the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for admissions to drug treatment agencies; and reports and summaries from intelligence reporting from other federal state and local law enforcement agencies, drug task forces, and investigators’ associations.
Plans for Publication
Responses to NDTS questions designed to provide quantitative (categorical) data are adjusted for non-respondents and then weighted to produce national, regional, and state-level percentage estimates for each response category. The results are presented in cross tabulation tables that DEA analysts use to verify anecdotal (qualitative) information obtained through the sources listed above. Additionally, selected cross tabulation tables of estimated response percentages are included in the text of DEA reports and assessments as well as in report appendixes. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software is used to produce maps and charts that depict NDTS data at the national, regional, and state levels.
While most of the NDTS questions are designed to provide quantitative data by means of categorical responses, several survey questions are designed to provide qualitative data for use by DEA intelligence analysts to depict national-level drug threats/trends. These qualitative questions, specifically Question 1a and Question 8 are constructed to obtain “pointer” data that DEA analysts use to make follow-up inquiries to their contacts at federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to further understand the drug trafficking situations within their jurisdictions. In addition to providing current analytical drug intelligence, DEA analysts are tasked to include predictive, forward-looking, intelligence in their products as well. Information obtained through these questions enable DEA analysts to identify emerging trends and patterns in the dynamic drug trafficking situation within the United States. Including these questions with questions designed to collect qualitative data enables DEA to gather “value added” intelligence.
Expiration Date Approval
DEA has no objections to displaying the expiration date of this information collection.
Exceptions to Certification Statement
DEA does not request an exception to the certification of this information collection.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT |
| Author | ndic |
| Last Modified By | Cabell, Anna M. |
| File Modified | 2016-08-25 |
| File Created | 2016-08-25 |