Pubdate: Mon, 03 Mar 2003
Source: West Australian (Australia)
Copyright: 2003 West Australian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.thewest.com.au
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/495
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n352/a01.html
Author: Rosco Woods

WHAT WAS THE DRUG AGENDA?

POLICE Commissioner Barry Matthews' delight in the number of responses to 
Crimestoppers' Drug Dealer Day puts into question what the agenda was in 
the first place. Are police targeting the Mr Bigs of the drug world or is 
the war on drugs actually a war on drug users?

Many drug addicts maintain their dependence by purchasing quite small 
amounts, making up even smaller portions to sell to friends and associates 
to recover their purchase money, and using the surplus themselves to feed 
their drug habit. They are user-dealers, not traffickers, and make no 
profit from their transactions besides the drugs they personally use.

Other ways to maintain a drug habit are robbery, home invasion, 
prostitution and fraud. Which endeavour would the general public prefer?

The majority of that same public probably wouldn't know a real drug deal 
even if they happened upon one anyway, so the majority of the more than 
1250 responses to Drug Dealer Day will be absolutely petty claims or 
misinformation or nuisance-making exercises in silly neighbourhood vendettas.

Yes, the police might "bust" a few people who are in possession of drugs, 
but the big dealers won't be caught. They conduct business well away from 
prying eyes. Those caught will almost certainly be user-dealers, but police 
are supposedly not targeting them. So why have the program in the first place?

More likely the whole project was nothing more than a public-relations 
exercise from a service that desperately needs to reinforce some credibility.

ROSCO WOODS, Heathridge
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