The city of Dover, Delaware, which is the state’s capital and is located in Kent County, is far from immune to drug problems. In 2005, there were 349 adult drug arrests and 49 juvenile drug arrests in Dover. A shocking statistic out of Kent County, Delaware reports that in 2005, eleven percent of female fifth-graders reported using inhalants during their lifetime. Jobs with the Dover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are in place to control the many drug problems in and around Delaware.
Drug Use in Dover
Another statistic from the Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that in 2005, almost 50 percent of eleventh-grade males and 40 percent of females of the same age in Kent County, Delaware reported using marijuana.
According to Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services, in 2009 75 percent of all drug deaths in Delaware were due to accidental overdoses. In 2009, 137 Delawareans died of drug overdoses. Eighty percent of these overdoses were due to at least one prescription drug. Forty-three percent of those who died in Delaware that year due to drug overdoses were female, and eighty-eight percent of drug overdose deaths that year were white.
Drug Crime Enforcement in Dover
The Dover Police Department employed 90 sworn police officers in 2005. During that year, the Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that the following were seized by the Dover Police Department’s Drugs, Vice and Organized Crime Section: $39,000 in drug profits, 5900 grams of marijuana and 681 grams of cocaine. Dover Police arrested 123 persons that year on drug offenses, which represented an almost 58 percent increase over drug arrests in the city for 2004.
The Dover Police Department collaborated with the Delaware State Police, Wilmington Police Department, Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services and Department of Corrections to form Operation Safe Streets (OSS). This operation targeted youth and adults on probation who were considered to be at high risk to commit crimes, including those of drugs and violence. In 2005, OSS was responsible for the seizure of over 400 grams of cocaine. The Dover Police Department’s K-9 Unit, consisting of four canines and their handlers, also targeted drug crimes in the city.
How to Become a DEA Agent in Dover
Dover lies within the Philadelphia Division of the DEA. The DEA maintains a Post of Duty office in Dover. Dover DEA careers can only begin if one meets the requirements to become a DEA agent. These include specialized drug investigation experience and/or the possession of a college degree. For specific instructions see the qualifications page on the DEA website.