From the front lines of the Drug War


Article discusses how some cops feel about the futile and expensive War on Drugs
Radley Balko writes a great piece on Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

You should go read it now. But I really want to stress this bit.

One thing LEAP's members can attest to that other drug war critics can't is the drug war's corrupting influence on police officers.

Tony Ryan, one of LEAP's newest member and a well-decorated, 36-year Denver police officer recently wrote in an op-ed, "the huge lure of money is always there, either through bribes by drug dealers, or during busts where piles of money are lying around. Corruption of law enforcement was at its highest during alcohol prohibition and we see it now with drug prohibition."

Any Lexis or Google News search will confirm Ryan's warning about corruption a dozen times over. That's not an indictment of police officers. Rather, it's an indictment of policy that puts police officers in situations where temptation and corruption come begging. But it's still a difficult argument for someone without law enforcement experience to make. Coming from a retired cop – in fact from dozens of them affiliated with LEAP – it becomes impossible for drug war proponents to ignore.

Back during Prohibition, do you know why organized crime grew so powerful?

The Federal government made booze smuggling profitable.

Sound familiar?

— NeoWayland

Posted: Fri - January 26, 2007 at 03:16 PM  Tag


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