cannabisnews.com: Dirty Blue

Dirty Blue

Posted by CN Staff on June 14, 2004 at 22:17:37 PT
By Joel Miller
Source: WorldNetDaily

Residents of Middletown, R.I., were perhaps a little alarmed over the weekend when they found out officials arrested a decade-long veteran of the local police for stealing marijuana from the evidence locker. No doubt the same goes for residents of Washington County, Ore., when it turned out a sheriff's deputy – a member of the countywide drug team – filched crank taken as evidence in a case.
"In early April, William James and his partner confiscated methamphetamine from an undercover buy. The partner thought James had logged the drug as evidence, but James kept a small amount for personal use," reported the June 10 Portland Oregonian. "Another time, James smoked meth after seizing it in a search. He also arranged two personal drug buys through an informant." Cops are charged with the impossible: effectively enforcing the myriad laws that constitute America's war on drugs. As I explain in my new book, "Bad Trip: How the War Against Drugs is Destroying America," not only is prohibition a losing proposition, but it has the singular ability to suck its enforcers into a mire of corruption that twists them into the very thing they are charged with fighting. The specimens above are hardly alone. These lawmen are just two clippings from last week's news; this stuff – and far worse – goes on every day in most every city, in every state in America, threatening the very legitimacy of the law. I dedicate an entire chapter to the problem of drug corruption in "Bad Trip." I could have written a whole book. Deputy Teddy Willis, for instance, missed his 2003 retirement ceremony from the Caswell County, N.C., sheriff's department. Just hours before the shindig, Willis was arrested for allegedly buying 15 pounds of pot in a nearby county. Five deputies in the Sarasota County, Fla., sheriff's department – part of an elite drug-fighting group called the Delta Task Force – framed Sarah Louise Smith by planting drugs in her home. They then lied to jurors, which resulted in her 1997 conviction and loss of custody of her baby daughter for a year and a half. Eventually, the truth came out and Smith settled with the sheriff's office for $275,000, but it turned out that the team had been doing much the same to others from 1995 to 1999 – according to prosecutors, they planted drugs, stole money from suspects and lied to cover it all up. In March 2002, a pair of narcotics detectives in Jefferson County, Ky., were slapped with a 472-count indictment that included charges of tampering with drug evidence, stealing money from informants, burglary and forging judges' signatures on warrants. The amazing total of alleged offenses came from just 24 of the pair's cases. When the dust settled in February 2003, the worst of the two agreed to fink on his partner for a mitigated sentence. Mark Watson pled guilty to 299 felony counts in exchange for testifying against Christie Richardson, who was found guilty of 20 felonies and a misdemeanor. One officer nicknamed "the Abuser" not only ripped off dealers on the streets, according to New York's Mollen Commission, he also concocted a protection racket in which the dealers would pay him to look out for their interests. If they failed to fork over the loot, he just robbed them. In one instance, while in uniform, he gunned a dealer, pinched his drugs and enlisted the help of fellow officers to cover up for the deed. The problem of police corruption is pernicious and pervasive – and it all goes back to drug prohibition. "The illicit drug market is probably the most lucrative source of police corruption that has ever existed in the United States," explain economists David W. Rasmussen and Bruce L. Benson in their book, "The Economic Anatomy of a Drug War." Being close to the trade, the vast sums of money and having easy access to all manner of drugs is simply too much for many in law enforcement. They can shelter criminals from arrest and prosecution; shake down dealers for money; confiscate and then sell drugs; help one group of dealers by arresting members of rival drug gangs. Once coaxed into the very world of crime they are charged with opposing, they can do all these things, and much, much more. As the result of a 1998 FBI sting in Cleveland, some 51 officers were busted on charges of protecting coke dealers moving large amounts of the drug. L.A. Sheriff Sherman Block led an investigation from 1988 to 1994 that nailed 26 deputies on narc duty for stealing drug money. In July 2002, four North Carolina officers were sentenced to prison on federal drug-trafficking charges – three of them worked vice for the Davidson County sheriff's office. One officer, David Scott Woodall, sold steroids and cocaine, planned on doing the same with pot and ecstasy, and stole a $160,000 in cash from codefendant Wyatt Kepley, one of two civilian accomplices in the case. Another officer, Douglas Westmorland, helped Woodall filch the money from Kepley, helped fabricate a search warrant for his house, supplied a fellow officer with pot, and stole more than four pounds of coke and some 60 pounds of grass from the evidence room. Similarly, Darnyl Parker and three other Buffalo, N.Y., narcotics detectives were indicted in 2002 for stealing $36,000 from an undercover FBI agent who they thought was a drug dealer. Parker and another two were convicted. Another Buffalo detective, Rene Gil, admitted to dealing coke while working a year-and-a-half stint on the narc squad. According to the Buffalo News, by his confession, "he shook down drug dealers and split the proceeds with fellow detectives." These cases are by no means isolated. According to a 1998 General Accounting Office report, "several studies and investigations of drug-related police corruption found on-duty police officers engaged in serious criminal activities such as (1) conducting unconstitutional searches and seizures; (2) stealing money and/or drugs from drug dealers; (3) selling stolen drugs; (4) protecting drug operations; (5) providing false testimony; and (6) submitting false crime reports." And remember, these numbers only reflect the guys that get busted. Cops often get away with it. The district attorney in the James case specifically said, "Had he not confessed his crimes, he probably never would have been found out." Cops rarely rat on each other. There's often shame associated with turning informant. And worse, finks are sometimes rewarded with severe punishment from fellow officers. Just think Frank Serpico. Said one police chief who spent five years working internal affairs in Washington, D.C., "I never encountered an officer willing to talk about the conduct of another officer, even if he was videotaped committing a crime." Corruption is and will always be a problem. Police are no more angels than the rest of us. But for reasons I detail in "Bad Trip," the drug war exacerbates and inflames the problem of corruption, turning public servants to scoundrels and enemies of their own communities. Says Hoover Institution scholar and former San Jose, Calif., Police Chief Joseph McNamara, "Thanks to the climate created by our drug laws, we have ... small gangs of cops who are the gangsters. They've committed murders, kidnapping and armed robberies – sometimes for, and sometimes against, drug dealers." Mixing money, power, drugs and the ability to operate above and behind the law is the worst of possible worlds. But that's precisely what the war on drugs has done, and it'll only get worse until we rethink the role we want the police to play in dealing with America's drug problem. Joel Miller is senior editor of WND Books and author of "Bad Trip: How the War Against Drugs is Destroying America." His own company, Oakdown, recently published "Drinking With Calvin and Luther! A History of Alcohol in the Church." Editor's note: Joel Miller's new book, "Bad Trip: How the War Against Drugs is Destroying America," is available now in ShopNetDaily. Says Larry Elder, "Miller nails it. He powerfully and persuasively articulates the folly, the harm and the unconstitutionality of our government's War against Drugs." And Judge Andrew P. Napolitano of Fox News rules, "Read this book and send a copy to every lawmaker and judge you know." Get "Bad Trip," today in ShopNetDaily. -- http://www.shopnetdaily.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=1575Source: WorldNetDaily (US Web)Author: Joel MillerPublished: June 15, 2004Copyright: 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Inc.Contact: letters worldnetdaily.comWebsite: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/Hoover Institutionhttp://www-hoover.stanford.edu/CannabisNews -- Police Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/police.shtml

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Comment #11 posted by FoM on June 15, 2004 at 22:33:04 PT
Fahrenheit 9/11 Movie Location Map
http://f911tix.com/
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Comment #10 posted by ekim on June 15, 2004 at 21:00:04 PT
Book a Leap Speaker for your event
http://www.leap.cc/events/events.php. Jun 16 04 Corvalis Morning Rotary 06:30 AM Howard Wooldridge Corvalis Oregon USA
Good Morning Corvalis! Board Member Howard Wooldridge gets up bright and early to breakfast with members of the Corvalis Morning Rotary. Topics to include the war on drugs and its failure. Jun 16 04 Stayton Rotary 12:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Stayton Oregon USA
Board Member and tireless warrior for the truth Howard Wooldridge rides into town to meet with members of the Stayton Rotary to explore alternatives to the war ond drugs. Jun 17 04 McMinnville Kiwanis 12:00 PM Howard Wooldridge McMinnville Oregon USA
Forget lunch at McDonalds, Board Member Howard Wooldridge will lunch with the McMinnville Kiwanis as he serves up the truth regarding America's failed war on drugs. Jun 17 04 Silverton Kiwanis 07:00 AM Howard Wooldridge Silverton Oregon USA
Hi-O Silverton Kiwanis, Board Member Howard Wooldridge will be riding into town to meet with members of the Silverton Kiwanis to discuss the social and financial impact of the failed war on drugs. Jun 21 04 Metropolitan Portland Rotary 06:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Portland Oregon USA
Board Member Howard Wooldridge meets with the Metropolitan Portland Rotary to discuss issues related to the failed war on drugs. Jun 22 04 Albany Rotary 12:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Albany Oregon USA
Board Member Howard Wooldridge lunches with members of the Albany Rotary to discuss alternatives to the failed war on drugs.
Jun 22 04 Portland Metro Kiwanis 06:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Portland Oregon USA
Board Member Howard Wooldridge continues his tour of The Beaver State as he meets with members of the Portland Metro Kiwanis to discuss alternatives to the war on drugs. Jun 23 04 Beaverton Sunrise Rotary 07:30 AM Howard Wooldridge Beaverton Oregon USA
Sinking his teeth into the truth about the failure of drug prohibition, Board Member Howard Wooldridge breakfasts with members of the Beaverton Sunrise Rotary.
Jun 24 04 Aloha Sunrise Rotary 07:00 AM Howard Wooldridge Hillsboro Oregon USA
Board Member Howard "I'd rather be in Hawaii" Wooldridge meets with members of the Aloha Sunrise Rotary to discuss the failure of drug prohibition and viable alternatives. Jun 25 04 National Sheriff’s Association 12:00 AM Howard Wooldridge Seattle Washington USA

June 25th-30th, 2004. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition exhibits at the 65th Annual Convention in Seattle Washington. LEAP attendees include Executive Board Member Howard Wooldridge, Speakers Jim
http://www.leap.cc
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Comment #9 posted by billos on June 15, 2004 at 11:42:37 PT
FoM...
Amen.................................
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Comment #8 posted by Virgil on June 15, 2004 at 09:58:43 PT
Krugman link
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/15/opinion/15KRUG.html
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Comment #7 posted by Virgil on June 15, 2004 at 09:53:07 PT
Krugman in NYT says Asscrack is worst ever
Helen Thomas has said that BuSch is the worst president ever when he only had two years of worsting in. Today in the NYT in a piece headed Travesty of Justice Paul Krugman's opening line reads- No question: John Ashcroft is the worst attorney general in history.
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Comment #6 posted by afterburner on June 15, 2004 at 09:44:31 PT

Hear What I Say - Legacy of the Drug War
"Police And Thieves" by Junior Murvin [Murvin/Perry] from the Album
"Police And Thieves" (Island Records 1977)
http://hjem.get2net.dk/sbn/misc/roots/police&.txt' Ooh, yes, police and thieves in the street, oh yeah,
Fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition
Police and thieves in the street, oh yeah,
Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition' From Genesis to Revelations, yeah
The next generation will be hear me
All the crimes comitted day by day
No one tried to stop it in any way
All the peace makers turn war oficers
Hear what I say, hey, hey' Police and thieves in the street, oh yeah,
Fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition
Police and thieves in the street, oh yeah,
Fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition 'from the Reggae Lyrics Archive http://hjem.get2net.dk/sbn/reggae.htmego transcendence follows ego destruction, a new wave of activists challenges the war on some drugs in the courts, with initiatives, in the legislatures, on the Internet, in letters to the editor, in scientific medical studies, in protests and festivals, and we try to stop it (cannabis prohibition and corruption) in every way.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #5 posted by FoM on June 15, 2004 at 08:27:22 PT

billos
Sometimes I think we can't win. Sometimes I think we might win. Michael Moore gives me hope that we do stand a chance. History will not paint a pretty picture when it comes to GW's legacy. I don't recall any administration that has caused this magnitude of hurt and chaos to the people of the USA.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 15, 2004 at 08:20:52 PT

New Poll Says Police Chiefs Expect Trouble
June 15, 2004Excerpt from Article:War on Drugs: Forty percent of police commanders surveyed said they believe marijuana should be available for medicinal purposes and 62.6 percent said they've seen an increase in the abuse of prescription drugs such as Oxycontin and other Schedule II drugs. A mere 17 percent of police commanders believe the war on drugs has been successful.http://www.insightmag.com/news/2004/06/11/National/New-Poll.Says.Police.Chiefs.Expect.Trouble-687719.shtml
What's New in Drug Policy Reform
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Comment #3 posted by billos on June 15, 2004 at 08:20:41 PT

FoM........
I concur. I thank God this movie is finally hitting home, and just in time. I truly hope this will be the straw that finally brings "The Bush" empire to its knees. I kind of visualize the falling of the Great Death Star in Star Wars to be an analogy.
Also....I expect muchos controversy about the movie. It will be very interesting.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 15, 2004 at 07:38:38 PT

billos
We don't go to movies much anymore but we are really looking forward to seeing Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. Michael Moore gives me hope that little people can make a very big difference.http://www.michaelmoore.com/
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Comment #1 posted by billos on June 15, 2004 at 05:16:15 PT

I think I'll.........
buy 200 copies and hand them out free to all who line up to see Michael Moore's 9/11 ! ! Coming June 25th.
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