SIR, Durham Chief Constable Mike Barton has rightly called (the Press and Journal, September 30) for the decriminalisation of all narcotics, including heroin and cocaine, and for problems to be dealt with in clinics, not the courts. Mr Barton is not the first senior policeman to criticise Richard Nixon's decision to use the failed methods of prohibition to tackle the problem of recreational drug use. In 2010, Tim Hollis, chief constable of Humberside, said the war on drugs had clearly been lost and the only group to benefit from the present setup was organised crime. [continues 63 words]
War More A Curse Than A Cure The discussion of drugs we choose to make illegal can be a contentious debate. More often there's no debate at all; emotion, knee-jerk reaction and the people who have the most to gain from maintaining the "War on Drugs" rule the day. As a former chief of police, I see drug policy as an issue that's far deeper than most people realize. Having tried the most aggressive enforcement methods, I came to realize that we are doing far more harm than good with our present policy. The "New Prohibition" stands no more chance of success than did alcohol prohibition in the 1920s and '30s. [continues 613 words]
There are many tragedies in our War On Drugs, and I have long considered the case of pain patient Richard Paey to be one of the most egregious. While his case is unfortunately not uncommon, it is extremely rare when a tragedy like Paey's turns back on itself and becomes a victory. With the full pardon of Paey, Gov. Charlie Crist and Florida Cabinet members Attorney General Bill McCollum, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson have "voted their conscience" and made a brave statement. [continues 367 words]
It seems everyday I read stories like that in the Daily News about the recent drug bust in Midland and Gladwin Counties ("Big drug bust in Gladwin County," Jan. 12). Every day, in virtually every city across the country, we have busts like this. Occasionally we will arrest a major trafficker or make a large seizure but the stories continue to roll on. So, are we any closer to ending this new Prohibition, this War On Drugs? As a former Chief of Police trained by both the FBI and DEA I have watched for years as these busts continue unabated. Every bust of a trafficker, whether of a major player in the illicit drugs trade or a street level hustler, merely creates an opening for some new entrepreneur to step up and gain a foothold in an extremely lucrative trade with customers eager to buy, often regardless of product quality or purity. [continues 630 words]
The recent bust of a marijuana and psilocybin growing operation in Blacksburg by the New River Regional Drug Task Force implies success to many people. "Another dealer in dangerous drugs off the street," some will say. But there are others, even those within the law enforcement community, who dissent and say that this low-level bust has really accomplished nothing and is but another insignificant bump in the perpetual war on drugs. Former President Richard Nixon declared a war on marijuana in 1971. [continues 622 words]
These are strange days at the Swansboro Police Department. Chief H.C. Pugliese is speaking Dutch and Officer Jarko is busting criminals for a chance to fetch Kong. Kong is a hard rubber chew-toy, Officer Jarko is a highly trained police dog and Pugliese is just trying to communicate with his new K9 patrolman. Jarko (pronounced "Yarko") was born June 21, 2000, in the Netherlands. The 90-pound Belgian malinois reported for active duty with the Swansboro Police Department Aug. 4 and has wasted little time in establishing himself as a top cop. [continues 771 words]
LEGALIZATION OF marijuana for personal use is only an admission by the feds that they have lost control and have no moral backbone. J. Cameron (See what I mean?) [end]
