Retired Cop Waves White Flag in War on Drugs

The Standard-Times (MA) ^ | 15 Jan 2003 | John Doherty

[MrLeRoy]

After fighting the war on drugs for nearly 30 years, Lt. Jack Cole is ready to admit defeat.

The retired New Jersey State Police detective -- who spent 12 years as an undercover narcotics officer -- spearheads a movement to legalize all narcotics as a way of ending the bloody, expensive war.

"The war on drugs was, is and always will be a dismal failure," said Mr. Cole yesterday to a meeting of the Fairhaven Rotary Club.

Mr. Cole is one of the founders of an international nonprofit group called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition -- LEAP.

That group, which includes current and former police officers, judges and others, is proposing nothing short of legalizing all narcotics -- including heroin, cocaine and marijuana -- and having the federal government regulate them.

While that might sound radical for a detective who spent the better part of his career looking to jail both users and sellers of drugs, Mr. Cole said it is the only rational viewpoint after a career on the front lines of the war on drugs.

While spending what Mr. Cole estimates to be $69 billion per year in law enforcement and prison costs for drug offenders, Americans have seen drug supplies become more plentiful and the drugs themselves more powerful and cheaper.

Mr. Cole acknowledged to the dozen Rotarians yesterday that the idea of legalizing narcotics -- similar to policies in Amsterdam -- sounds foreign.

The first question many people ask is whether drug decriminalization will increase drug use, especially among the young.

Mr. Cole pointed to studies in which young Americans said it was easier to obtain marijuana and other drugs than it was to purchase government-regulated alcohol and tobacco products.

Holland sees a lower rate of marijuana use among its young people, in part because decriminalization has made the drug boring, Mr. Cole said.

"We at LEAP are asking you to listen and to think about these ideas," said Mr. Cole, who is pursuing a doctorate in public policy at UMass Boston.

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[Kerberos]

"Knock it off already. People may begin to think you are dim witted. "

Too late.

[Dead Corpse]

I agree. End 99% of the welfare. Axe Social (in-)Security. NRST, instead of a flat-tax, and disband the IRS.

At the very least make drug usage a disqualifying statute to recieving re-distributionist payouts.

Make it allowable by law to shoot legislators who even suggest "free-needle" programs.

[MrLeRoy]

If you couple legalization with ending medicaid, hospitals charging paying customers twice as much to pay for non payers, have a flat income tax, get rid of the earned income tax credit, then I am ok with legalization.

Using one violation of rights as a justification for another violation of rights is not a conservative argument. Not to mention the fact that many drug users cost you precisely nothing and so should not have their liberties restricted because of what OTHER users cost you.

[MrLeRoy]

if we do not pay for their treatment, we must instead pay for their incarceration

Why?

[MrLeRoy]

Unlike drug "crimes," the crimes you mention all have victims---which means that they (unlike drugs) are the legitimate business of government, and that existing and potential victims (or next of kin) stand ready to resist the crime and assist in catching the criminal.

[Kerberos]

"Is the agent still in the "service?"

Probably so, I mean they have bills to pay also.

[vin-one]

definately KC, would say Soro's has corrupted him.

[Dead Corpse]

It doesn't work you idiot. Billions spent on removing 1 tenth of one percent of all drug traffic off the streets.

[Eagle Eye]

To support the current WoD, you must also support the use of militarily trained federal agents particiapting in paramilitary operations in Central and South America because that is what is going on.

You must also support current practices that KNOWINGLY allow more drugs into the country than what is stopped.

Also, you must also support the political and judicial corruption that is intertwined in the current WoD.

Dan, who'd have thought that you would use a facade of righteousness in order to endorse, support, and perpetuate such evil and anti-American practices that corrupt government, LEO, society itself?

Who'd have thunk it?

[Tony Niar Brain]

Why?

Well, not necessarily. We could just pay nothing and not do incarceration nor treatment, but I can't see how that wouldn't be ignoring the problem. But hey, if you see another path, please let me know.

[radioman]

Must be a George Soros plant or a closet dope head. Nothing else would explain why a brave officer would state such opinions when he spent 30 years of his life dodging bullets from deranged hippies and violent coke heads

Deranged hippies??? LOL!!!
He is obviously brave enough to speak the truth!

[FreeTally]

But we must continue to put poeple in jail for using drugs. Otherwise, what message are we sending to the children? That they own themselves? That would be wrong.

I mean, children only realize that murder, theft and rape are wrong because there are laws punishing people who do such things. How could we possibly keep kids "off drugs" if we aren't putting people in prison for using them. (Highly sarcastic tone off)

[FreeTally]

Watch out for those hippes. Peace and Love is just a front....

[MrLeRoy]

We could just pay nothing and not do incarceration nor treatment, but I can't see how that wouldn't be ignoring the problem.

And what happens if we ignore the problem?

[Kerberos]

"Watch out for those hippes. Peace and Love is just a front...."

You're really on a roll today. LOL

[Dead Corpse]

Gotta let all those peons know that if they hurt themselves, then they will be severly punished for it!

[MrLeRoy]

How could we possibly keep kids "off drugs" if we aren't putting people in prison for using them.

Yes, look at the way all children grow up to be drinkers and smokers.

[Kerberos]

"Some people just love socialism as long as it satisfies their Puritan penchant for punishing those who do things they don't like. "

Well said.

[radioman]

Thanks...Love a good laugh with my morning coffee.