Pubdate: Sat, 23 Dec 2006
Source: Odessa American (TX)
Copyright: 2006 Odessa American
Contact:  http://www.oaoa.com/index.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/708
Author: Casey Foran, Odessa American
Referenced: The Tyler Morning Telegraph articles 
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1728/a06.html and 
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1728/a07.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Barry+Cooper
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)

EX-DRUG OFFICER PLANS TIPS VIDEO

Officials Express Disappointment With 'Never Get Busted Again'

An ex-Permian Basin Drug Task Force officer -- described as being a 
fine lawman -- plans to sell a video that shows people how to get 
away with having narcotics.

Barry Cooper, who also worked for the Gladewater and Big Sandy police 
departments, will begin to sell his video "Never Get Busted Again" 
beginning Tuesday.

Cooper said in a promotional video that "Never Get Busted Again," 
shows viewers how to "conceal their stash," "avoid narcotics 
profiling" and "fool canines every time."

Some of the law enforcement officers Cooper previously worked with 
expressed great disappointment Friday.

"He was very effective, and this is just a shame," District Attorney 
narcotics officer Joe Commander said. "Barry Cooper was a very fine 
officer, probably one of the best drug interdiction officers I've 
ever worked with."

Cooper told the Tyler Morning Telegraph he made the movie because he 
believes in the legalization of marijuana and thinks the fight 
against drugs is a waste of resources. Cooper said arresting 
marijuana users fills up prisons with nonviolent offenders.

"My main motivation in all of this is to teach Americans their civil 
liberties. What drives me in this is injustice and unfairness in our 
system," Cooper said.

Mike Tacker, a former Permian Basin Drug Task Force officer and 
current UTPB police chief, said he doesn't believe Cooper's advice 
will much fool police or their canines.

"No matter what information he gives people, it's hard to beat those 
drug dogs," Tacker said. "I can tell you this from experience since 
I've been in thousands of drug raids. No matter where you put the 
drugs, we will find it."

Commander, who agreed with Tacker, said the canines are so well 
trained that they would be hard to fool.

"Those canines are trained to smell the source, which is the 
marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine -- and they eliminate odors to 
smell the source," he said.

Tacker said the video could be a good thing for officers, believing 
that Cooper is actually motivating police officers to work harder.

"Barry's giving law enforcement an incentive to work twice as hard to 
fight the war on drugs," he said.

Commander said he was surprised when he first heard the news about 
Cooper's plans to release the drug technique video.

"I was shocked, totally shocked -- I was beside myself when I heard 
about it," Commander said. "I was in disbelief. Knowing what a good 
officer Barry Cooper was, I was totally shocked by the path he has chosen."

Others were not as dumbfounded when they heard the news about Cooper's video.

"Well, it doesn't surprised me one bit," said Richard Dickson, Yoakum 
County investigator and a former member of the Permian Basin Drug Task Force.

"I think the easiest way to say that was several of us were born to 
be peace officers and some were born to be businessmen," he said. "He 
was born to be a businessman."

Meanwhile Cooper said that as a drug officer he made more than 800 
drug arrests and seized more than 50 vehicles and $500,000 in cash 
and assets. Cooper plans to promote the video in newspaper ads and on 
a Web site he'll launch Tuesday.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake