cannabisnews.com: New DEA Chief Promises To End Inflated Arrest Data New DEA Chief Promises To End Inflated Arrest Data Posted by FoM on August 04, 2001 at 16:44:39 PT By Lenny Savino, Inquirer Washington Bureau Source: Philadelphia Inquirer The new head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has pledged to end the agency's use of inflated drug-arrest and performance statistics and to focus on growing drug problems in rural America. Rep. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican from Arkansas, was confirmed to the post this week. In an interview, he said that he hoped to lift America's confidence that the drug war can succeed."We have engaged in this for decades, and there's a lot of frustration out there both on the law enforcement and public side," he said. "Everyone has to understand that there's hope we can make a difference." He also promised that the DEA's staff of 9,100, whose mission is to keep illegal drugs out of the United States and bust major traffickers, would work harder to curb rural drug abuse, particularly involving methamphetamines and the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. Hutchinson, 50, was elected to Congress from Arkansas in 1996. A former U.S. attorney, he was one of the House members who prosecuted President Clinton during the impeachment trial in 1999. To head the $1.5 billion-a-year agency, he will resign from Congress, effective Tuesday. He will earn $133,700 as DEA administrator, a slight decrease from his $135,000 congressional salary. Hutchinson must tackle some internal problems at the agency. Recent Inquirer Washington Bureau stories disclosed that the DEA had no documents to support hundreds of arrests claimed in the agency's latest 36-nation Caribbean antidrug dragnet. Hundreds of other arrests reported by the DEA turned out to be routine marijuana busts by local police. Hutchinson deplored the practice and vowed to stop it. "We have to have the correct moral compass and the proper training to make sure we gather our statistics in a correct and truthful fashion," Hutchinson said. At stake, he said, were "the credibility of federal law enforcement" and "the confidence of Congress" in his agency.Of $30.2 million in assets claimed to have been seized from drug traffickers in the operation, the Washington Bureau found that $30 million had been seized before the operation began. DEA agents assigned to the San Juan headquarters overseeing Caribbean operations said superiors told them to count arrests made by local police as DEA arrests. "We have to make sure of the accuracy of the statistics," Hutchinson said, "and that seizures are not double-counted." Michael Vigil, director of the DEA's San Juan office and overseer of the operation, subsequently was promoted to head the agency's international division, which has agents in 56 countries. He is the subject of an ongoing internal investigation.Lenny Savino's e-mail address is lsavino krwashington.comSource: Inquirer (PA)Author: Lenny Savino, Inquirer Washington Bureau Published: Saturday, August 4, 2001Copyright: 2001 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.Contact: Inquirer.Letters phillynews.comWebsite: http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/Related Articles:New DEA Chief Suggests 'Compassionate' Policyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10510.shtmlSenate Confirms New DEA Chief http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10497.shtmlTranscripts: Greenfield at Large - War on Drugshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10337.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by dddd on August 05, 2001 at 22:30:02 PT What a doozy ...Oh boy,,,,,now there's a promise you cantrust,,,,,and hopefully,,,everyone will nowWAKE UP,,,to the fact that they have been beingoutrightly LIED to,,for years,,,,,, by their own GOVERNMENT!......A "promise to end inflated arrest data",,is more ghastly than no comment!?...Get ready,,,just watch as the Hutchster,start runnin' thedea,,in the great southern tradition,,,,there was gigglingand enthused 'hi-fiving',going on when that ol' boy Asa wassucessfully installed....this guy would have been very successfulas a car salesman.He just seems to be the most kindest,downhome,sincere good protector of all that is right that you could ever meet.He's the "Bill Clinton",of dea bosses.....Havnt seen anything of hisnew 'czar',,,,I guess Waters,(Walters?),,doesnt do so good infront of the camera........anyway,,,Hutch is a true nightmare...:"...pledged to end the agency's use of inflated drug-arrest and performance statistics and to focus on growing drug problems in rural America. Rep. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican from Arkansas, was......"What the f*%k kind of comment is this?,,,,And how come there is not a completeand brutal investigation into the matter???dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by freedom fighter on August 05, 2001 at 21:43:39 PT My goodness! "In an interview, he said that he hoped to lift America's confidence that the drug war can succeed."Is Assa acknowledging that the war is not successful? A slip in tongue? People can be funny when they say things like that. For example, as mentioned in my previous posting, I ask my div. officer, " Can you understand that Piss Testing is unconsitutional?"His answer was, "Yes, I can understand that Piss test is intrusive to the privacy of your body but......" OOOoops!My next appointment, I am going to harp on this that he is commiting an illegal act. After all he acknowledged that!ff [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by kaptinemo on August 05, 2001 at 17:37:56 PT: So, they've been fudging figures, huh? So what else is new? And the DrugWarriors are continually caterwauling that their war and Viet Nam have no parallels?During the 1960's, on the evening news, the military would give the VC and NVA Regulars body count as being X. Sometimes X was higher or lower than the previous day. But they always supplied a number.Never mind they hadn't the foggiest idea how many enemy KIA they had done in; they felt compelled to provide a number. So they did. Pick a card, reach into a hat blindfolded, throw sticks in the air, flip a coin, read tea leaves or chicken entrails, it all amounted to the same thing. A number that had absolutely no relevence to the truth.Just like all DEA propaganda. And Mr. Nothing's-happening-at-Mena-so-I-don't need to investigate-it Hutchinson is going to make sure that the truth is uncovered?Pardon me while I spit. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by lookinside on August 05, 2001 at 11:06:44 PT: j.r.... the proper pesticide comes in hand held surface to airmissiles...must be applied diectly to the pest... [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by J.R. Bob Dobbs on August 05, 2001 at 08:07:50 PT Overgrow the gubmint >>focus on growing drug problems in rural America The only problem with growing in rural Ermerica is the damned black helicopters and SWAT teams!! If they'd just leave us alone, there would be very little problems! Spider mites are nothing compared to jack-booted thugs. How do you spray for THOSE?? How To Grow Medical Marijuana [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by aocp on August 05, 2001 at 05:05:19 PT Gladiator The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end ... [gag] [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Nothing on August 04, 2001 at 20:57:18 PT Nothing While you sit safe in your office and bask in your imagined glory, counting your $133,700 salary, American people become innocent victims of your crusade. This is not a war against some plant, or bathtub chemical, this is an all out attack on the American people by our own government. The American Revolution was fought for less. And it was illegal!So go .... yourself Asa, George and everyone else that thinks they have a right to tell me what vegetable I can consume. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Toker00 on August 04, 2001 at 19:10:00 PT Sure we lie. So what? What's this? An admition of guilt? "We have to have the correct moral compass and the proper training to make sure we gather our statistics in a correct and TRUTHFUL fashion," Hutchinson said. "At stake, he said, is the credibility of federal law enforcement."... "Sorry we lied to you so we could suck more money from the pit. But we KNOW you'll forgive us, because you've been DOING it for DECADES." (Smirking that well known by now, COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICRAT smirk.)*ROUTINE MARIJUANA ARRESTS irule SHAKES HIS HEAD.Peace. Realize, then Legalize. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Dave in Florida on August 04, 2001 at 17:09:08 PT There is no hope "Everyone has to understand that there's hope we can make a difference." Sorry pal, there is no hope for you to make a difference and you know it.. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on August 04, 2001 at 16:55:22 PT More of the same In an interview, he said that he hoped to lift America's confidence that the drug war can succeed.How? More lies. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment