cannabisnews.com: Same Drugs, New Society, New Demands


cannabisnews.com: Same Drugs, New Society, New Demands





Same Drugs, New Society, New Demands
Posted by FoM on October 23, 2000 at 20:09:43 PT
By Joanna Blair For The Valley Independent
Source: Valley Independent
Drug investigations, the importance of examining a crime scene and the process of the judicial system were the topics of the third of four weekly sessions of the Senior Citizens Police Academy at the Donora Community Center. Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Rick Bluth, assigned to narcotics drug investigation, described how an undercover drug investigation is conducted. "The mission of my particular unit is to infiltrate and develop information on drug pockets, people who are dealing drugs in various counties," said Bluth.
According to the trooper, his unit often works with the western interdiction unit in Greensburg. The primary jurisdictions of an interdiction unit are airports, bus terminals, train stations, postal service areas, United Parcel Service, any site or vehicle through which drugs can come into the area."Sometimes investigations may lead from an interdiction where the interdiction unit seized the package coming into our area," said Bluth. "Then my unit will take that, run with it, develop an investigation and attempt to introduce undercover into the drug organization."According to Bluth, the types of drugs most often seen in Pennsylvania include marijuana, cocaine and heroine, a drug popular in the 1960s and 1970s."I'm here to tell you that heroine is back, and it's back in a big way," said Bluth. "In the '60s and '70s heroine was up to, at the highest point, maybe 10 percent pure. The heroine we're seizing now in large quantities is up to 90 percent pure, plus."It's an inexpensive drug and easy to get," Bluth said. "(It's) one of the highest, physically addictive drugs going. Once someone starts, they will do anything to get it because they are physically addicted."Heroine, explained the trooper, is a powder which is normally cooked down into liquid form and shot into a person's system through a hypodermic needle."The increase in heroine use in young people comes from every income background," said Bluth. "Some think if it's snorted, it's not as addicting. It's a dangerous drug."Bluth talked about how children as young as age 10 and 11 are getting involved with what is called "club drugs.""These drugs are taking over the schools by storm," he said. "The kids go to what is called a Rave party which is nothing more than a drug party."The club drugs, he said, are considered ways to get an inexpensive high. Pills, bought for as little as $15 or $20, will allow the recipient to be high the whole night.In 1999, nearly 20 kilos of cocaine, 1,200 pounds of processed marijuana, 804 marijuana plants, two kilos of heroine, and various pills were seized by Bluth's unit. In addition, about $400,000 in cash, some cars and a house were seized, he said.One participant in the police academy said that, as a youngster, she never heard of drugs or knew anyone involved in drugs. "What happened along the way?" she asked."That's not something law enforcement did or didn't do," said Bluth. "That's society. There's more murders each year, for instance. They had heroine in the turn of the century. Around 1893 people learned how to cook heroine. It's the same drugs throughout time."Besides drug investigations, crime scene investigations were explained by Washington County deputy sheriff captain Bill Bryker. He showed a tape, borrowed from the FBI, of the Los Angeles shoot-out between police and bank robbers. It shows an area of a crime scene.According to Bryker, the responding officer to a crime has to secure the area of the crime scene, preserve evidence, collect the evidence, insure that what is collected is not contaminated and keep track of who handles what. An investigation is very time consuming and has to be precise, he explained."If we go wrong, that guy goes free," said Bryker. "Our job is to make as few mistakes as possible."The participants were taken through the legal process of a crime from investigation to arrest to trial. Washington County District Justice Jay Dutton described the function of his role."The district justice is the first step in the judicial system," he said. "In civil actions we take civil cases valued up to $8,000 to completion. In criminal matters the only thing we actually do is determine if there is enough evidence to hold the person for court."Washington County Court of Common Pleas judge Debbie O'Dell-Seneca described the final phase of the judicial process that decides the fate of a person accused of a crime.There are five judges in Washington County that handle all the cases, she explained, three for the criminal cases that go up from the district justice level and two judges that handle the civil cases.O'Dell-Seneca is one of the two judges handling civil cases since about 1996-1997. Previously she handled criminal matters.According to O'Dell-Seneca, a civil judge handles everything on the civil side, including divorce, child custody, grandparents rights, and domestic relations.The Senior Citizen Police Academy was developed by Washington County Sheriff Larry Maggi and Mary Lynn Spilak, Director of Aging Services. The course has been flexible, allowing for spontaneous discussion. EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a weekly series detailing what's being taught at a Senior Citizens Police Academy being held in Donora. The fourth and final installment will appear next Monday.Joanna Blair For The Valley IndependentE-Mail: jeb midmon.comSource: The Valley Independent (PA) Author: Joanna BlairPublished: October 23, 2000Copyright: 2000 The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. Contact: valley tribweb.com Website: http://www.valleyindependent.com/ CannabisNews Police Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/police.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by Dan B on October 24, 2000 at 21:08:58 PT:
Sorry, drfeelgood, but I tend to agree...
...with AOCP. I think AOCP was just trying to make a point that many drugs that are at least as "dangerous" as "rave drugs" are available over the counter. I know that I knew about NyQuil and Tussin DM long before I read about them on the web. Tussin was one of my favorite drugs during my Army AIT training, and I didn't need a web site like this to find out about it. (By the way, while it gave me a serious buzz, the morning after was no picnic).And I agree with AOCP's remarks concerning the cops turning their backs on teen use of tobacco. It is hypocritical for the cops to arrest teens for their use of "club drugs" while many of these kids are using tobacco, which is equally illegal for those under 18. Cops deliberately choose to ignore tobacco while attacking those who use "club drugs"--probably because enforcing laws regarding "club drugs" has the added benefit of allowing cops to search the person and confiscate anything of value under the assumption that any valued objects were purchased with "drug money." So, please, give AOCP a break. And AOCP, please don't take drfeelgood's well-intentioned remarks as a sign you don't belong here. Both of your opinions are valued here.Dan B
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Comment #6 posted by AOCP on October 24, 2000 at 12:35:43 PT:
knee-jerk reactions
> Also to AOCP: you are a fool.Yea?>if someone who reads your message goes out and drinks a bottle of Nyquil looking to do a robo trip I hope you feel responsible and stupidNot in the least. I was using it to illustrate a point. One cannot harp on the dangers of rave "pills" when there are tons out there gulping down this drek, legally and without age limit! You think i'm encouraging this action? Get bent. You can stick your head in the sand and pretend the legal "alternatives" aren't causing just as many, if not more problems than the arbitrarily-chosen illicits, but i choose to not remain so ignorant. Take your jerking knee elsewhere.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 24, 2000 at 12:23:28 PT
A Big Difference
Heroine:A woman noted for courage and daring action. A woman noted for special achievement in a particular field. The principal female character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation. Heroin:A white, odorless, bitter crystalline compound, C17H17NO(C2H3O2)2, that is derived from morphine and is a highly addictive narcotic. Also called diacetylmorphine.http://www.dictionary.com/
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Comment #4 posted by drfeelgood on October 24, 2000 at 10:52:06 PT
Reply
CONGRESSMANSUET: Right on man!!!This chick needs ta get a clue.Also to AOCP: you are a fool. if someone who reads your message goes out and drinks a bottle of Nyquil lookingto do a robo trip I hope you feel responsible and stupidas well.later
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Comment #3 posted by AOCP on October 24, 2000 at 10:02:34 PT:
Wow!
>The club drugs, he said, are considered ways to get an inexpensive high. Pills, bought for as little as $15 or $20, will allow the recipient to be high the whole night.First of all, $15-20?!? Where can i get THAT connection? I've never found any rave pill for less than $25 and it's often much higher. Second of all, i still find $15 to be way too much for even one night of fun. Inexpensive, my a**. Acid is only $5 a hit or mesc for $3! Now, THAT'S inexpensive. Or even better ... why not just go to walmart and pick up some nyquil or tussin dm? There's a cheap and gross buzz that any kid can get their paws on.By the way, i've been to my fair share of raves ... why aren't the cops busting all the underage kids SMOKING CIGS out in the parking lots? As i understand it, tobacco KILLS way more than the pills could ever dream to. Hell, they don't even have to come inside and pay the cover! (not that they would, anyway) Moralizing jack-booted thugs and their self-serving parental laws ... scuse me whilst i worship the porcelin (sp?) god.
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Comment #2 posted by CongressmanSuet on October 23, 2000 at 22:27:34 PT
And I dont see any reason...
why everyone here cant do like I did and send this idiot a letter telling her to get a clue. E-mail above...
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Comment #1 posted by CongressmanSuet on October 23, 2000 at 22:20:11 PT:
Sure.....
for many the term "heroine" would be appropriate, but lets get our facts straight...there is no e, its heroin. These are the future journalists of tomorrow? When you misspell a word that is important to the credibility of your piece, well, your argument and point become moot. 
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