To my cites      Back to enforcement      Back to drug history

1 2 3

Miscellaneous Points on Drugs

In the 1980's the Reagan administration had zero tolerance drug polices. Nearly three out of four state and local prosecutors didn't like the policy. Two thirds believed their (prosecutors) little or no impact on reducing the supply of illegal drugs or their street price(8 ).

Rep Paul Simon did a state prison wardens survey(9 ) Wardens from California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. Surveys were received from more than 60% of the prison facilities in these states.
Do you support mandatory sentencing for drug crimes?
no: 58%
yes: 35%
best solutions to prison over crowding?
Shorter sentences on nonviolent offenders, & longer sentence (65%)
Reduce the need for more prison space by lowering sentences for certain categories of less violent crime (45%).
Build more prisons (39%).
do you think most elected officals are offering effective solution to crime?
yes 10%
no 85%

Milton Freidman, Nobel Laureate said "Despite this tragic lesson, we seem bent on repeating precisely the same mistakes in handling drugs."(10 ).

"The point must surely come when the American people acknowledge that the drive against marijuana is not proving anything at all, given the continuing availability of the drug and it's (relatively modest) patronage"(11 ).

Former Seattle Police Chief from 1994 to 2000 Norm Stamper "Sometimes people in law enforcement will hear it whispered that I'm a former cop who favors decriminalization of marijuana laws, and they'll approach me the way they might a traitor or snitch. So let me set the record straight. Yes, I was a cop for 34 years, the last six of which I spent as chief of Seattle's police department. But no, I don't favor decriminalization. I favor legalization, and not just of pot but of all drugs, including heroin, cocaine, meth, psychotropics, mushrooms and LSD." (12 ).

Retired police captain Peter Christ who worked for the town if Tonawanda (1969 to 1989) (New York) said "My attitude toward the policy we're following is that it's a stupid policy," and also said "It creates crime and violence in our society ... When's the last time you heard of a shoot-out at a brewery?" and "Don't be asking cops to solve the drug problem," (13 ).