cannabisnews.com: Are Dealers Controlling Brixton's Streets? Are Dealers Controlling Brixton's Streets? Posted by CN Staff on July 09, 2002 at 19:41:33 PT By Dominic Bailey, BBC News Online in Brixton Source: BBC News Walking out of Brixton tube station I had half expected to be offered a wide selection of illegal narcotics. Perhaps Tuesdays aren't a good day for the criminal gangs that are supposedly running the streets now that the police are taking a "softly, softly approach" to cannabis possession in the Lambeth area. If the government wanted to try to control drugs they should have done it... in the bars -- Resident Pauline Cumming. It was also a quiet day in flowery Solon Road where Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith joined a ladies' fellowship meeting at Brixton Baptist Church to call for an end to the drugs trial. There were no more than 10 local residents at the meeting and, as expected, he was mainly preaching to the converted. Grandmother of three and foster parent Pauline Cumming, 50, said Home Secretary David Blunkett's proposals to downgrade penalties for possession and dealing of cannabis were an "absolute disaster". "If the government wanted to try to control drugs they should have done it in a controlled way in the bars or other places that adults frequent rather than on the streets," she said. "It makes me feel very frightened." 'Lines of pushers' The church's Pastor Chris Andre-Watson wants a reversal of the soft approach, which he says has confused many young people into thinking it is acceptable to take drugs. "The message has gone out that cannabis has been legalised, they do not understand the differences and subtleties of the law," he said. Pastor Chris Andre-Waston wants the scheme reversed. He said matters had been made worse by the police advertising the fact that they were taking a more lenient approach, which many said had been in place anyway. The views on the streets closer to the heart of the problem than Solon Road were mixed. When asked, many people do give the description used by those who oppose the Lambeth experiment - lines of drug pushers harassing shoppers and people coming into the area to buy drugs. They say the dealers are the problem and it is the harder drugs such as crack cocaine and heroin that are causing a massive problem in the borough. Tourists 'scared' Shopkeeper Yousur Malik said the increasing number of dealers on the streets at night and at the weekends is very intimidating for residents and visitors. "Tourists are scared and come into the shop to escape and ask to be accompanied to the tube," he said. Police say the scheme is a success. But a Mori poll in the Lambeth area recently showed 83% support for the pilot scheme. Cannabis smokers and those who support the experiment also don't want to see dealers on the streets, they don't want to be hassled, they don't want to see children offered drugs and they want the police to crack down on hard drugs. In short, they would like to be left alone to have a quiet smoke, and not bother anyone. But that would need the government to take a larger step towards legalisation in order to prevent the buyers being forced to turn to the illegal market. 'Leave the smokers be' Builder Michael Soul, 40, from Brixton said the dealers were giving out the wrong image about cannabis use. If it was legalised more people taking hard drugs would go back to cannabis -- Resident Stanley Bernard. "The majority of people my age and younger will have a puff," he said. "But they don't stick it in your face and offend anyone by it. You want to address the quantity and the pushing, not the people that smoke it." Stanley Bernard, 50, who has been fined for cannabis use in the past, believes legalising cannabis could even have a positive effect on harder drug users. "If it was legalised more people taking hard drugs would go back to cannabis," he said. Note: Do residents agree with Iain Duncan Smith's appraisal?Plus:Cannabis: Should it Be Reclassified? Published: Wednesday, July 10, 2002The Home Secretary David Blunkett is expected to announce the downgrading of penalties for the possession and dealing of cannabis on Wednesday. The announcement follows a trial in Lambeth, south London, where those found carrying small amounts of cannabis were given a warning by police, rather than prosecuted. Figures from Scotland Yard last month showed street crime in Lambeth had fallen dramatically. Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner Ian Blair, last week said the pilot scheme was "undoubtedly" beneficial to the police. However there are critics: community leaders, local police officers and local residents have all pointed out that the experiment has caused a significant increase in drug dealing of all kinds in Brixton. What do you think of this softly, softly approach? Do you fear it will encourage drug use, particularly in the young, sending out the wrong message about drugs? Or is it a sensible approach? Click Here To Have Your Say -- http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point/newsid_2116000/2116502.stm#saySource: BBC News (UK Web)Author: Dominic Bailey, BBC News Online in Brixton Published: Tuesday, July 9, 2002Copyright: 2002 BBC Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/ Contact: http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point/Related Articles & Web Sites:Legalise Cannabis Alliancehttp://www.lca-uk.org/Drugs Uncovered: Observer Special http://freedomtoexhale.com/dc.htmPolice Fear Muddle Over Cannabis Laws http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13345.shtmlSofter Line for Cannabis Lawshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13344.shtmlBritain To Relax Laws for Millions of Dope Smokers http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13339.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Post Comment