LEAP says: A group of police and judges who want to legalize drugs pointed to new FBI numbers released today as evidence that the “war on drugs” is a failure that can never be won. The data, from the FBI’s “Crime in the United States” report, shows that in 2008 there were 1,702,537 arrests for…
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Kristina Goetz of the Memphis Commercial Appealhas this story about an officer doing “deep undercover.” She also had to restrain her police instincts to break up a fight at a convenience store or call social services if she saw a dealer hit his child because being caught would compromise the larger goal. And what larger…
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Along with Neill Franklin, I’ll be broadcast on Baltimore’s “Maryland Morning” tomorrow (Friday) at 9:05am (Eastern Time). In Charm City WYPR is 88.1 FM. Or you can listen to live streaming here.
Esquire.com just published a nice piece by John Richardson about my op-ed co-author, Neill Franklin, on violence in the drug war. We’ve heard a lot about the terrible death toll Mexico has suffered during the drug war — over 11,000 souls so far. This helps to account for the startling lack of controversy that greeted…
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The Washington Post has an op-ed written by me, Peter Moskos, and Stanford “Neill” Franklin. It’s Time to Legalize Drug Drug manufacturing and distribution is too dangerous to remain in the hands of unregulated criminals. Drug distribution needs to be the combined responsibility of doctors, the government, and a legal and regulated free market. This…
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Stanford “Neill” Franklin and I have an op-ed scheduled to run in Monday’s Washington Post. Needless to say, details will follow. Major Franklinwas the commanding officer at the Baltimore police academy when I graduated in 2000. Who would have thought, nine years later, we’d be writing newspaper pieces together? I don’t think we ever even…
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Walter Cronkite died Friday. He was 92. On his 90th birthday he told the Daily News, “I would like to think I’m still quite capable of covering a story.” He was known for knowing a failed war when he saw one. Not just Vietnam. He was against the War on Drugs and a friend of…
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Eight-term Iowa Republican Congressman Tom Latham is asked about LEAP, a group of former law enforcement agents who support drug legalization. He responds, “They’re probably a bunch of old potheads.” Don’t like the message? Disparage the messenger. That’s what they call an ad hominem attack. Maybe he should get to know us. Of well, you…
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Mike Carter of the Seattle Timesreports: A former Mountlake Terrace police sergeant whose views supporting the decriminalization of marijuana led to his dismissal in 2005 has won his job back and an $815,000 settlement from the city and Snohomish County. However, Sgt. Jonathan Wender will not return to the streets. In addition to the financial…
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Jack Cole, the founder of LEAP, has an op-ed in today’s Boston Globe. WAR AND RACE dominate the presidential campaign, but one nation-shaping war with profound racial consequences eludes the political radar: the drug war. I was a frontline soldier in this self-perpetuating, ineffectual effort that has swallowed more than a trillion tax dollars and…
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