Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Even the most important witnesses get betrayed when the powerful are threatened

2013-04-29T11:51:00.000-04:00

The New York Times front page story by Ginger Thompson reports on the saga of Luis Octavio López Vega. For years, Lopez has been living underground in the U.S. He is former chief of police of Zapopan, a city of more than 1,000,000 near Guadalajara, and top aide to former Gen. Jesus Gutierrez Rebolllo (praised by ONDCP Director Barry McCaffrey for his bullet-proof integrity before he was arrested for his ties to a cartel). Lopez was a key DEA informant. As the investigation of Gutierrez commenced, Lopez realized that he was a target for execution and went underground. The U.S. helped his family escape to the U.S.

For a dozen years, top Mexican officials have been trying to get the U.S. to arrest Lopez to turn him over to them, where it is likely, the Times suggests, that he will be tortured and killed. Yet the U.S. Marshals Service raided him -- but he spotted the surveillance and fled. He has been hiding out ever since.

This extensive report confirms our worst suspicions that considerations of justice are abandoned when powerful politicians and powerful criminals feel threatened, and when the trade and political interests of the U.S. may be affected. In this account, the decisions of the U.S. Attorney General and the Secretary of State about protecting a man who was offered protection by the U.S. for his life-endangering cooperation are swayed by political considerations. When does a government betray someone it has offered to protect?

Drug enforcement is such a peculiar species of law enforcement. No matter how zealously anti-drug agents, prosecutors or officials might be, they all recognize at some level, because the drug trade is so large and perpetual, that any individual load of drugs or any individual defendant is ultimately insignificant. Considerations of national security, national economics, and national politics -- if pressing -- will always trump any investigation.

Is this a form of corruption? Or is it a necessary exercise of discretion? Is letting a cartel leader go for reasons of state legally or morally different than letting a juvenile street dealer go for reasons of compassion and retaining the human capital of a community?

The Next in the Ladybud Series by Diane Goldstein

2013-04-11T15:28:00.000-04:00

http://ladybud.com/saving-law-enforcement-from-themselves/

APR 10, 2013

Saving Law Enforcement Organizations From Themselves

Diane Wattles-Goldstein / Law, News & Editorial, Top / body cavity search, collateral damage,Columbia Police Officer's Union, constitutional law, Dale Roberts, dallas fort worth pd, diane wattles-goldstein, drug war, Keep Columbia Free, Lady Bud, ladybud, law enforcement, LEAP, marijuana,Mike Riggs, Reason Magazine, texas, Texas State Troopers, traffic stop /

PHOTO SOURCE: CBS Dallas Forth-Worth. Then officer Kelly Helleson caught on a dashboard camera preparing to perform a cavity search on a woman under the suspicion of marijuana possession.

In a recent Reason.com blog post author Mike Riggs points to a clear example of the many failings of the ongoing Drug War, the stigmatization of human beings. This stigmatization leads to the objectification of people, which in turn provides fodder for inappropriate humor. I am not a prude, and I participated in gallows humor for years, there were times as a police officer that it was my only way to maintain my sanity, but I always understood who my audience was, and always lived by the rule of laughing with people, not at people. As a strong proponent of American civil liberties, I also believe in our First Amendment rights, but realize that those in law enforcement (even if they are not cops) or in positions of authority asDale Roberts is as a University of Missouri law professor and instructor at the same school’s Law Enforcement Training Center, should be held to a different standard even in their personal lives.

A Texas state trooper charged withsexually assaulting two womenduring a traffic stop was providing them with “customer service,” says Dale Roberts, the executive director of the Columbia Police Officers Association (CPOA) and a professor at the University of Missouri. (The CPOA is a part of the Fraternal Order of Police, one of the country’s largest police unions.) “It’s called Customer Service!” Roberts wrote in a March 27 Facebook post about the indictment of Texas State Trooper Kelly Helleson, who was charged with two counts of sexual assault after conducting an illegal roadside strip search of two women. “We just did it so they wouldn’t have to make the trip all the way down to the station,” he added. A screenshot of Roberts’s post was taken by Keep Columbia Free, a civil liberties blog run by Mark Flakne.

What I find most loathsome is that Professor Roberts, who is an attorney, former judge, Constitutional Law professor, and the head of the Columbia Police Officers Association, clearly does not recognize his moral failings as he laughs about two innocent women victimized by law enforcement.

On December 19, 2012 the victims were subjected to an unconstitutional body cavity search simply based on the allegation of the smell of marijuana. For those who are not familiar with the case, the women were driving and were pulled over for a littering violation. In California this is simply a traffic ticket, an infraction that should not result in anything more than a summons to court. Yet the trooper alleged that he then smelled marijuana. He conducted a search of the vehicle (I question the legality of the search, but that’s another article) while a female Texas State Trooper conducted an invasive road-side body cavity search that is alleged to include inserting her fingers inside the victim’s vagina and rectum without even changing her latex gloves. When no marijuana was found, the driver was given a field sobriety test and then released with a warning for the littering violation.

When I saw this story and viewed the videotape, I was simply stunned. The victims have filed a lawsuit and the female trooper was terminated and is awaiting a criminal trial. The taxpayers will once again suffer by having to pay a large settlement for the malfeasance, while the media and our political and law enforcement leaders will label this an isolated event instead of looking at it as an example of the culture that surrounds the enforcement of the Drug War.

This case is a clear example of the Machiavellian effect that the Drug War has had on the police. What is so astonishing is the lack of judgment as expressed by Dale Roberts in his Facebook post. Given his gross lapse in judgment, I find it ironic that he is a lead instructor at a law enforcement training center as well as a Constitutional Law professor. But more chilling for me is that his statement is so similar to others that I heard while a sex crimes investigator that the victim is somehow to blame for the suspect’s actions, or that she enjoyed being victimized.

So the Drug War marches on with more victims, collateral damage to a futile attempt to control human nature. All the while, supposed criminal justice professionals like Roberts continue to influence a profession that I loved, changing our course from protecting those we have sworn to serve to victimizing them at unknown cost to our humanity. Professor Roberts, I would simply ask you that if this were your wife, your daughter or someone you loved, would you be so callous? I think not. So I offer a bit of advice that I used to tell my officers: Before you say or do something, ask yourself if your mother would be proud of your words or actions, and would you be happy to see it on the front page of the news? Clearly, with this remark, you failed both standards, and would have done well to remember that even if you are not a real police officer, as the head of their union you don’t just represent yourself, but also a profession that you have brought to a new low.

Diane Wattles-Goldstein

Diane Goldstein is a 21-year veteran of law enforcement who retired as the first female lieutenant for the Redondo Beach Police Department, (CA). During her career she worked and managed a variety of patrol and investigative units. She is recognized as a subject matter expert and trainer in the area of crisis negotiations and critical incident management. During her career she was one of the original founders of the California Association of Hostage Negotiators receiving an Honorary Life Member Award in 2007. She is a speaker and Executive Board Member for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a guest columnist for The 420 Times and has appeared on radio, and television as a commentator.

→ Diane Wattles-Goldstein

Excellent Article by Diane Goldstein in Ladybud

2013-04-02T13:14:00.002-04:00

http://ladybud.com/time-to-return-the-peace-to-peace-officer/

APR 1, 2013

Time to Return the Peace to Peace Officer

In 1983 I was hired as a police officer in the community that I grew up in. If you had asked my friends, they would have said law enforcement was an unlikely professional choice for me, but I understood that it would not just challenge me personally, but that I could also make an impact in other people’s lives. So I took my oath of office and attended the academy, where I was given the basic tools necessary to enter an incredibly complex profession. What I learned immediately is that the most vital skill that law enforcement uses is effective communication. I believe that words matter and that what is currently lacking in the administration of justice is that we no longer emphasize the “peace” in “peace officer.”

In the United States, law enforcement agencies have statewide credentialing organizations aptly named Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) which is tasked with ensuring the professionalism of the police. In California, in addition to POST, the law also designates us as peace officers with policing authority. Philosophically we have strayed from the mission of being peace officers and I would argue that we have instead become “police officers” by virtue of our failed national drug policy. The distinction is a subtle one, as there are times that as professionals we must “police” people who are harming others, but I believe our core mission is to be peacekeepers within our communities by serving others.

What I learned immediately is that the most vital skill that law enforcement uses is effective communication.

In order to discuss the impact of the drug war on policing we must understand the purpose of law enforcement. Law

Sir Robert Peel: Father of Modern Policing

enforcement authority was established as a theory of a social contract that recognized obligations between constituents and government. Kardasz notes that as members of a community we agree to abide by the rules and laws of our state and cede our right to defend ourselves and our property to the police. Sir Robert Peel, the father of modern policing, developed ethical principles that clarified the roles and relationship of the police and the public they serve. He posited that “The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions.” As our federal government continues to impose a one-tool solution to the political problem of drug use in America, I believe the public’s support of law enforcement’s effort in waging the drug war is waning, and with it, the moral authority from which it derives it power.

In the court of public opinion, a recent Rasmussen poll reflected that only 7% of Americans believed that the United States is winning the War on Drugs. I stand with others polled who believe that our national drug policy is an abject failure. Every society in history has used mind-altering substances of one form or another. The smart ones have acted to reduce the harm of that use rather than trying to prevent it altogether. Throughout my 21 year career in law enforcement I saw the damage that this war on human nature has caused. The unintended consequences of trying to achieve a drug-free America have done more damage to those we have sworn to serve. From opinion pieces to headlines, we are inundated with stories of police misconduct, excessive force allegations, personal corruption and what is now known as Machiavellian police corruption, where the police officer believes they are acting correctly because the end justifies the means.

The survey revealed that when asked if the War on Drugs had been successful in reducing drug use 82% of our national law enforcement leaders stated no.

One recent example, a piece in the New York Times titled “Why Police Lie Under Oath” by Michelle Alexander, was gut wrenching to me, not less so because it’s a topic largely ignored by police professionals across the United States. Alexander clearly points out the Machiavellian effect the Drug War has had on our profession with distinct examples of how and why police lie in order to meet quotas, obtain promotions or simply because they can as they are more respected within the community. But these lies, although not publicly supported, can and do at times occur with a wink and a nod as just one more aspect of the means justify the ends in saving American’s from themselves.

The recognition that our national drug policy has not been successful is not news. Our law enforcement leadership cadre admitted as much in survey conducted in 2005 by the National Association of Chiefs of Police (NACOP).The survey revealed that when asked if the War on Drugs had been successful in reducing drug use 82% of our national law enforcement leaders stated no.In light of these findings, why have our political and law enforcement leaders not recognized the impact of the drug war on relationships between police and the communities they serve? Since Nixon initiated the “War on Drugs” in 1970, each and every president, attorney general and drug czar has tried to perpetuate the perception that we are winning the war. In addition to playing cheerleader, the federal government has funded the expansion of the War on Drugs through both increased grants and by allowing local police departments to share money and other property seized through federal asset forfeiture laws. Currently as a nation we spend more than 41.3 billion dollars a year in continuing to wage a rhetorical war on an unachievable goal of a “drug free” America.

But this continued optimism and funding has a significant cost to our society. It results in law enforcement and other policy makers’ unremitting support in a mandate that no one is willing to challenge contributing to a groupthink mentality. Consequently, the public recognizes the impact of the Drug War as a failure as they watch their neighbors, families and friends suffer the consequence of discriminatory laws impacting not just minorities but all Americans, and resulting in the tearing of the social contract between law enforcement and the citizens they serve.

Both the federal government and law enforcement leaders have largely refused to admit that in attempting to win an unwinnable war they have lost the trust of the very people they have sworn to protect. In a situation similar to our entrenchment in Vietnam, our politicians and law enforcement leaders know that this war is unwinnable, but continue to sacrifice their officers and their communities by not searching for the truth. In 399 B.C., Socrates, reflecting on life’s purpose, challenged the Athenian government, saying, “There you are mistaken: a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong – acting the part of a good man or of a bad.”

From my experience in law enforcement, I believe we have a moral imperative to critically analyze public policy by questioning how we enforce social order and demand that above all we aspire to conduct ourselves as Socrates envisioned governance by knowing and doing good above all else. By using this lens to study what the role of law enforcement should be, we can reflect upon and correctly assess the destruction of the peace officer and its effect on our society. Clearly, it is time to end the Drug War and return the peace to the term “peace officer.” We must engage in a discussion that challenges our politicians and law enforcement leaders to design policy based on science and harm reduction strategies that includes compassion and human rights.

Diane Wattles-Goldstein

2nd Report from UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

2013-03-15T15:25:00.000-04:00

This is the second report from LEAP board members present at the 56th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs this week.

VIENNA

March 15, 2013

According to reports issued by the Secretariat for the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, methamphetamines represented the largest increase in illicit drug use worldwide in 2012 as reflected in part by the seizure of 60 tons of meth that year. Those same reports reflected that forty nine new psychoactive substances were identified and in use among European Union member states in 2011, compared with forty one new substances in 2010 and twenty four in 2009.

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs is charged with responsibility for establishing drug policy for the United Nations, consistent with three UN prohibitionist treaties adopted in 1961, 1971 and 1988. In March of each year, the Commission has the opportunity to study the Secretariat's reports and other evidence of drug use and trafficking, examine the effectiveness of its policies, and recommend revisions and changes to world drug policy. Given that responsibility and authority -- and given the Secretariat's facts regarding the explosion of meth use, meth seizures and new synthetic-drug proliferation -- a serious reexamination of the UN drug prohibition policy was warranted.

But it didn't happen. Concluding a week of meetings of the 56th session of the CND on Friday, the three UN drug prohibition treaties escaped alive and well without any significant policy change recommendations.

One reform group, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a non-profit organization composed of drug cops, prosecutors, judges and other law enforcement personnel, who for years led the fight against drugs but who now oppose the failed drug war, expressed disappointment that the CND never engaged in a discussion of fundamental questions concerning world drug policy.

The CND failed to take up the question of whether drug prohibition does more harm than good. Despite the huge meth seizures and proliferation of new drugs in the market, the CND failed to take up the question of whether drug prohibition policy itself causes increased drug availability, potency, use, abuse, addiction, disease and death.

Ignoring other fundamental questions, the CND failed to consider whether drug prohibition policy itself causes addict crime and turf-war crime, violence, corruption and injustice; and whether it erodes freedom, liberty and human rights.

The CND failed to consider the fundamental question of whether the United Nations should repudiate the UN/Al Capone style drug-prohibition paradigm, instead adhering to the failed and harmful drug-war policy.

Triggered by unrelenting violence and other threats to the public health and safety of their people, some Latin American countries, such as Guatemala and Uruguay, are increasingly unwilling to accept the drug-prohibition status quo. Signs of change are also evident in the United States, where the people of Colorado and Washington have expressed unwillingness to live with nonsensical cannabis laws that feed Mexican drug cartels and deprive citizens of freedom.

In some European countries sentiment is also being expressed for a rejection of the top-down UN-mandated prohibition of drugs and for the restoration of national sovereignity that would enable each country to establish drug laws that best fit their people's problems and needs through a system of legalization, regulation and control.

Courageously, Bolivia, by insisting on the constitutional right of its people to preserve the traditional use of the coca leaf, has shown the nations of the world a way to throw off the straight-jacket, zero-tolerance UN prohibitionist conventions.

Following Bolivia's procedural success, other nations of the world could also reject the current prohibition policy and replace it with drug policies that are conducive to the public health, safety and welfare, through a system of legalization, regulation and control.

- Jim Gierach, Annie Machon, Terry Nelson, Maria Lucia Karam

Notes from the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

2013-03-12T18:18:00.000-04:00

Note: Four of LEAP's board members are in Vienna attending the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs this week, from which they sent us this special report.

03/11/2013

VIENNA - Bolivian president Evo Morales again stole the show at the 56th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), proclaiming that the UN drug rules and conventions had failed to control drugs and had led to "more and more drugs on the market," "more violence," and "more hidden money in the banking sector."

More than one year ago, Pres. Morales created a CND stir and committed drug policy heresy by leading Bolivia to repudiate and withdraw from the UN 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. After initially requesting an exemption from the international convention in order to permit the chewing of the coca leaf for cultural, traditional and medical reasons, and being denied such relief, Bolivia unilaterally withdrew from the treaty, a first by any nation of the world.

Last year, at the same CND annual meeting, Pres. Morales asked that Bolivia be readmitted as a signatory to the Single Convention with the exception that the coca leaf be removed from the long list of UN prohibited drugs. Although the coca leaf has many constructive uses in food, beverage, and medicinal products, it is also the foundational ingredient for cocaine. Morales, however, made clear that he and Bolivian were opposed to legalizing cocaine.

In response to Morales 2012 speech, rather than being condemned by other Member States to the Single Convention, many delegates to the 55th Session applauded him. And during the past year, all Member States to the Convention, with the exception of 15 countries, approved the re-admittance of Bolivia to the drug prohibitionist UN family.

President Morales had more news for the 2013 Session.

Bravely, he declared that the international drug rules and conventions had failed. He proclaimed that despite UN anti-drug treaties, today "we have more and more drugs on the market," "more and more violence," and "more and more forbidden money in the banking sector."

He also pointed out that despite the UN war on drugs Afghanistan had an 18% increase in the production of poppies this year over last. The poppy is the plant from which opium, morphine and heroin are made. Morales pointed out that the mushrooming poppy crop occurred despite the U.S. military occupation of Afghanistan, and that one-half of Afghan provinces and one-third more families were cultivating opium.

Morales contended that drug war has become an instrument of political domination. He also pointed out that without U.S. "occupation," Bolivia is doing much better in drug control than it did historically.

Contravening another UN mantra, Morales stated that drug control is not a "shared responsibility," explaining that Bolivia no longer receives any anti-drug money from the U.S. He further touted the fact that Bolivia does not use chemicals to eradicate the coca plants, and contented that thereby it was protecting "Mother Earth."

Challenging other UN conventional protocol, Morales claimed that alternative development in substitution for coca plant cultivation was a waste of time. He explained that the illegal market dictates the price of coca, and no legal crop is comparable in price. The only competitive product for the coca plant would be opium or marijuana.

- Maria Lucia Karam, Jim Gierach, Annie Machon, Terry Nelson

"Nullify State Laws" - Ex-DEA heads

2013-03-05T17:05:00.000-05:00

8 former heads of the DEA want the Obama adminstration to "nullify" the laws legalizing marijuana in Colorado and Washington, according to published reports.

This is the opposite of how nullification has traditionally been used.
For example, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, proposed state nullification of the federal Alien and Sedition Acts on the grounds that the laws violated the Constitution. Nullification was also later attempted against the Fugative Slave Act of 1850.

I realize that not all members of LEAP will be comfortable with jumping on the State's rights bandwagon and also that some of our international members might not appreciate just how strongly some of us feel about the importance of having a limited Federal government. But, for the purposes of fighting the war on drugs, would it not make sense to make alliances with groups such as the Tenth Amendment Center?

Although, if at some future point the Federal government adopted a policy of regulation and legalization, would we be satisfied to allow some states to still enforce prohibition? Do we need one national (or international) drug policy or should States be free to experiment?

How I learned to stop worrying and love the sequester

2013-03-03T09:53:00.001-05:00

Many people are upset about the slight decrease in the increase of money that the US government will spend over the next several years. I live in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, which is home to, among other things: the National Security Agency, Fort Meade, the Naval Academy, various defense contractors, and a ton of Federal workers. We are artificially wealthy as a result of the disproportionate amount of taxpayer money spent here. Because of this, our state and federal elected officials are concerned over the impact of the "budget cuts". I can't blame them. They are looking out for their constituents.

With concern over unsustainable spending, cuts to defense spending and entitlements, and the prospect of increased taxes, it may be helpful to remind our friends on the left and right about one area of spending we can do without - the drug war. Critics will point out that ending the drug war will hardly solve our budget problems. But they should remember Benjamin Franklin's advice that a small leak will sink a great ship. And the drug war is a bigger leak than many people realize.

The proposed 2013 Federal budget for drug control is well over $25 billion dollars. Well over half of this is for law enforcement. The rest is for treatment related programs. Conservatives, who claim to believe that the Federal government is one of enumerated and limited powers, should be reminded that nothing in the Constitution authorizes this spending. Those who claim to believe in personal responsibility should also be opposed to the government "helping" people with drug treatment. Liberals, who claim to believe in personal freedom, should question the benefit of funding enforcement, but also treatment, which is usually done under coercion, either directly or indirectly.

Ending the Federal drug war would not only save $25 billion a year, but would also increase revenue if drugs such as marijuana were taxed on the Federal level, much like cigarettes are now. Prohibition is also a drain on the economy, in more ways than most people realize. Ending the drug war would spark economic growth which would also help with the budget.

We should welcome the current focus on the budget and the across the board cuts as an opportunity to inform others about the costs of the failed war on drugs. We should argue that the drug war should be cut first, before anything else is touched.

But the benefits of the sequester may be more immediate as well. Mike Riggs at Reason suggests that it could be beneficial to the medical marijuana industry. It will be interesting to see if the DEA uses its decreased resources more wisely or still continues with its destructive war against cancer patients and State's rights. I am not as optimistic. It is not hard to imagine them putting their fight against the cartels on the back burner so they will continue to have resources to raid dispensaries.

Law Enforcement Leaders Ask Department of Justice to Respect State Marijuana Laws

2012-11-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

Group Cites Public Safety Concerns Created by Illegal Marketplace

Teleconference With Colorado and Washington Law Enforcers at 12:00 PM ET

WASHINGTON, DC – This morning a former narcotics cop delivered a letter signed by 73 current and former police officers, judges, prosecutors and federal agents to Attorney General Eric Holder urging him not to interfere with the wishes of the voters of Colorado and Washington State to legalize and regulate marijuana.

"We seem to be at a turning point in how our society deals with marijuana," said Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, the group that authored the letter. "The war on marijuana has funded the expansion of drug cartels, it has destroyed community-police relations and it has fostered teenage use by creating an unregulated market where anyone has easy access. Prohibition has failed. Pretty much everyone knows it, especially those of us who dedicated our lives to enforcing it. The election results show that the people are ready to try something different. The opportunity clearly exists for President Obama and Attorney General Holder to do the right thing and respect the will of the voters."

Neill Franklin delivers a letter to the Department of Justice

There will be a teleconference for reporters interested in speaking with Mr. Franklin and other law enforcement signatories of the letter, as well as an NAACP leader, today at 12:00 PM ET. Please call 1-800-311-9403 (Passcode: "Marijuana"). Individual interviews are also available. The text of the letter delivered today to Eric Holder is online at http://www.leap.cc/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/leap-letter-to-doj.pdf

The signatories of the letter collectively represent more than 1,100 years of experience in law enforcement.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is a group of police, judges, prosecutors, corrections officials and federal agents who, after witnessing the harms of the drug war firsthand, are now devoted to ending that war. More info at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeMarijuana.com.

#        #        #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2012
CONTACT: Tom Angell -- (202) 557-4979 or media@leap.cc
                    Darby Beck -- (415) 823-5496 or darby.beck@leap.cc

November 20, 2012

The Honorable Eric Holder
Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Dear Mr. Attorney General and Our Colleagues in the Department of Justice,

As fellow law enforcement and criminal justice professionals we respectfully call upon you to respect and abide by the democratically enacted laws to regulate marijuana in Colorado and Washington. This is not a challenge to you, but an invitation – an invitation to help return our profession to the principles that made us enter law enforcement in the first place.

We went into law enforcement, despite its long hours and constant frustrations, because we wanted to serve our communities. We wanted to save people, to protect them, and there are few more selfless and noble callings on this earth. But the second we overthrow the will of the people, we fail to live up to the promise of that calling.

The great American political writings upon which this country was founded were based in John Locke’s concept of the social contract, which recognizes that the authority of police, and of all government, is derived from the people. And the people have spoken. To disregard the fact is to undermine the legitimacy of the ideas for which our forefathers fought and died.

This is not merely an academic argument. August Vollmer, father of professional policing and primary author of the Wickersham Commission report that served to bring an end to the prohibition of alcohol, opposed the enforcement of drug laws, saying that they "engender disrespect both for law and for the agents of law enforcement." His words ring as true today as they did in 1929. After 40 years of the drug war, people no longer look upon law enforcement as heroes but as people to be feared. This is particularly true in poor neighborhoods and in those of people of color, and it impacts our ability to fight real crime.

One day the decision you are about to make about whether or not to respect the people’s will may well come to be the one for which you are known. The war on marijuana has contributed to tens of thousands of deaths both here and south of the border, it has empowered and expanded criminal networks and it has destroyed the mutual feeling of respect once enjoyed between citizens and police. It has not, however, reduced the supply or the demand of the drug and has only served to further alienate – through arrest and imprisonment – those who consume it.

At every crucial moment in history, there comes a time when those who derive their power from the public trust forge a new path by disavowing their expected function in the name of the greater good. This is your moment. As fellow officers who have seen the destruction the war on marijuana has wrought on our communities, on our police forces, on our lives, we hope that you will join us in seeking a better world.

Sincerely,

Executive Director Stanford “Neill” Franklin, Baltimore, MD
Retired State Police Major (34 years law enforcement experience)

Board and Advisory Board Members

Jack A. Cole, Medford, MA
Retired Police Detective Lieutenant, New Jersey State (26 years)

Peter Christ, Syracuse, NY
Retired Police Captain (20 years)

Stephen Downing, Los Angeles, CA
Retired Deputy Chief of Police (20 years)

James E. Gierach, Chicago, IL
Former Drug Prosecutor (12 years)

Leigh Maddox, Esq., Baltimore, MD
Retired Police Captain (17 years)

Joseph McNamara, Stanford, CA
Retired Chief of Police, Kansas City, MO and San Jose, CA (35 years)

Terry Nelson, Granbury, TX
Retired Customs and Border Protection Aviation/Marine Group Supervisor in Texas, Florida and Latin America (32 years)

Tony Ryan, Sioux Falls, SD
Retired Lieutenant Police Officer, Denver PD (36 years)

Richard Van Wickler, Stoddard, NH
Superintendent, Department of Corrections (25 years)

Speakers

MacKenzie Allen, Santa Fe, NM
Former Master Police Officer and Drug Detective in Seattle and Los Angeles (15 years)

Daniel-Paul Alva, Philadelphia, PA
Former Assistant District Attorney (2 years)

John Amabile, Brockton, MA
Former Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General (4 years)

James Anthony, Oakland, CA
Former Community Prosecutor (3 years)

Dean Becker, Houston, TX
Former Air Force Security Police Officer (3 years)

Nate Bradley, Sheridan, CA
Former Deputy Sheriff, Wheatland PD (5 years)

Arnold J. “Jim” Byron, Burlington, WA
Retired United States Customs Inspector in Minnesota and Washington State (31 years)

Jerry Cameron, Saint Augustine, FL
Retired Chief of Police (17 years)

George T. Cole, Chicago, IL
Retired Senior Special Agent (26 years)

Beth Comery, Providence, RI
Former Police Officer (5 years)

William John Cox, Long Beach, CA
Retired Police Officer and Prosecutor in Los Angeles and San Diego (40 years)

Richard F. Craig, Travelers Rest, SC
Former Lieutenant Police Officer, Rockland, MA PD (33 years)

Tim Datig, Egg Harbor, NJ
Retired Police Chief, St. Aldans Police Department, Vermont (28 years)

John Delaney, Bryan, TX
Retired District Court Judge, State of Texas (29 years)

Det. David Doddridge, St. George, UT
Retired Military Police Officer and Narcotics Detective, LAPD (21 years)

James A. Doherty, Seattle, WA
Former Corrections Officer and Prosecutor (7 years)

Sean Dunagan, Washington, DC
Former DEA Senior Intelligence Research Specialist (13 years)

Richard E. Erickson, Lakeport, CA
Retired Patrolman (22 years)

Jay Fleming, Mohave Valley, AZ
Former Narcotics Investigator, Spokane, WA (15 years)

Shelley Fox-Loken, Portland, OR
Retired Probation & Parole Officer (19 years)

Leonard I. Frieling, Boulder, CO
Former Judge (8 years)

Michael J. Gilbert, Ph. D., San Antonio, TX
Former Corrections Practitioner (12 years)

Diane M. Goldstein, Santa Ana, CA
Retired Lieutenant Police Officer (21 years)

Judge James P. Gray, Santa Ana, CA
Retired Superior Court Judge (32 years)

Jamie Haase, Greenville, SC
Former Special Agent and Customs Inspector, Baltimore and Laredo (10 years)

Karen E. Hawkes, Boston, MA
Retired State Trooper, First Class (13 years)

Patrick Heintz, Agawam, MA
Retired Correctional Officer/Counselor (20 years)

Wesley E. Johnson, J.D., Tulsa, OK
Former Police Officer (5 years)

Russell Jones, New Braunfels, TX
Former Narcotics Detective (10 years)

Jeff Kaufman, New York, NY
Former Police Officer, Special Assignment (8 years)

Kyle Kazan, Long Beach, CA
Retired Police Officer (5 years)

Leo E. Laurence, J.D., San Diego, CA
Former Deputy Sheriff

David M. Long, J.D., San Francisco, CA
Former Special Agent in Florida and California (9 years)

John Lorenzo, Southbury, CT
Retired Chief of Marine Police (20 years)

Paul R. MacLean, Concord, NH
Retired State Trooper (20 years)

Sean McAllister, Denver, CO
Former Assistant Attorney General of Colorado (3 years)

M. P. McCally, Renton, WA
Former Probation Counselor (7 years)

James W.F.E. Mooney, Washington County, UT
Retired Former Narcotics Undercover Agent and Corrections Official (10 Years)

Peter Moskos, New York, NY
Former Baltimore City Police Officer (2 years)

Richard D. Newton, Aviation Interdiction Agent, El Paso, TX
Retired US Customs & Border Protection in Florida, Puerto Rico and elsewhere (30 years)

Patrick K. Nightingale, Esquire, Pittsburgh, PA
Former Assistant District Attorney (6 years)

James J. Nolan - Morgantown, WV
Former Police Lieutenant and FBI Unit Chief, Wilmington, DE (13 years)

Nick Novello, Dallas, TX
Police Officer (30 years)

John O’ Brien, Fullerton, CA
Former Sheriff, Genessee County, MI (12 years)

Chad Padgett, Walton, IN
Former Correctional Officer (6 years)

James S. Peet, Ph.D., CFE, Sumner, WA
Former National Park Service Ranger, Police Officer, Alexandria, VA (6 years)

Titus Peterson, Denver, CO
Former Deputy District Attorney (5 years)

Howard L. Rahtz, Cincinnatti, OH
Retired Police Captain (30 years)

Richard Renfro, Detroit, MI
Retired Special Agent/Financial Criminal Investigator/Supervisor (25 years)

Charles M. Rowland II, Beavercreek, OH
Former Special Prosecutor (3 years)

Bob Scott, Franklin, NC
Retired Executive Officer (15 years)

Dwayne Sessom, Lawton, OK
Former Deputy Sheriff (3 years)

Carol Ruth Silver, San Francisco, CA
Retired Sheriff’s Department Prisoner Legal Services Director (1 year)

Ethan Simon, Albuquerque, NM
Former Assistant District Attorney (6 years)

Norm Stamper, Seattle, WA
Retired Chief of Police, San Diego and Seattle (34 years)

Eric E. Sterling, Washington, DC
Former Counsel to the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary (10 years)

Thomas P. Sullivan, Chicago, IL
Former U.S. Attorney (4 years)

Betty Taylor, St. Louis, MO
Former Police Chief, Winfield PD (7 years)

Jason Thomas, Denver, CO
Former Detention Officer and Deputy Marshall (2 years)

John Tommasi, Durham, NH
Retired Police Sergeant (37 years)

Kyle Vogt, Port St. Lucie, FL
Former Military Police Officer (4 years)

Richard K. Watkins, Ed. D., Huntsville, TX
Retired Senior Prison Warden (20 years)

Rusty White, Bridgeport, TX
Former Correctional Officer, Arizona State (7 years)

Fellow Law Enforcers Ask Eric Holder & Justice Department to Respect State Marijuana Laws

2012-11-19T20:51:00.001-05:00

US Attorneys Urged to Use Discretion to Allow Successful State Implementation

Teleconference with Prosecutors, Cops & Judges Who Say Let States Legalize

WASHINGTON, DC -- On Tuesday a group of veteran law enforcement professionals will deliver a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at the Department of Justice urging the Obama administration to respect state laws that legalize and regulate marijuana. Voters in Colorado and Washington State opted decisively for marijuana legalization on November 6 and national polls show majority support for replacing marijuana prohibition with legal regulation.

After personally delivering the letter signed by dozens of police, prosecutors, judges and federal agents to the Department of Justice at 9:00 AM ET, 34-year veteran narcotics cop Neill Franklin will join other law enforcers for a 12:00 PM ET teleconference call to answer questions from journalists.

WHO: 34-year veteran Baltimore narc Neill Franklin, former Seattle chief of police Norm Stamper, 36-year veteran former Denver police lieutenant Tony Ryan, former police lieutenant commander Diane Goldstein & California NAACP President Alice Huffman.

WHAT: Delivery of letter to Attorney General Eric Holder's office at Department of Justice & teleconference with law enforcers

WHEN: Tuesday, November 20 -- Letter delivery at 9:00 AM ET; Teleconference at 12:00 PM ET

WHERE: Letter delivery at U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530; Teleconference at (800) 311-9403 (passcode: "Marijuana")

"During his first term, President Obama really disappointed those of us who hoped he might follow through on his campaign pledges to respect state medical marijuana laws," said Neill Franklin, the Baltimore narc who serves as executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. "Still, I'm hopeful that in his second term he'll realize the political opportunity that exists to do the right thing. Polls show 80% support for medical marijuana, and in Colorado marijuana legalization got more votes than the president did in this most recent election."

Tony Ryan, a retired 36-year veteran Denver police lieutenant, added, "From a public safety perspective, it's crucial that the Obama administration let Colorado and Washington fully implement the marijuana regulation laws that voters approved on Election Day. There's nothing the federal government can do to force these states to arrest people for marijuana possession, but if it tries and succeeds in stopping the states from regulating and taxing marijuana sales, cartels and gangs will continue to make money selling marijuana to people on the illegal market. Plus, the states won't be able to take in any new tax revenue to fund schools."

# # #

Flint “Leaders” Disregard Will of Voters, Say They Will Ignore Voter-Passed Marijuana Decriminalization Measure

2012-11-14T14:45:00.000-05:00

Law Enforcement Officials Declare Their Disapproval of City’s Undemocratic Approach

FLINT, MI –The City of Flint has announced that despite a successful ballot measure decriminalizing the adult possession of marijuana approved by 54% of voters last week, it would continue to prosecute people for marijuana possession. Today Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a group of law enforcement officials who support legalization of marijuana publicly condemned the city’s actions.

“This is in direct violation of the wishes of voters who opted for a decriminalization approach similar to those successfully implemented in cities across the country,” said Executive Director Neill Franklin. “Keeping marijuana illegal benefits no one. It’s expensive, ineffective, and destroys the relationship between police and the communities they serve. The citizens of Flint spoke loud and clear in favor of change. City officials should respect the wishes of the voters who put them into office and can remove them just as easily.”

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) represents police, prosecutors, judges, corrections officials and others who, after witnessing the harms of the drug war firsthand, are now devoted to ending that war. More info at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeMarijuana.com.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 14, 2012

CONTACT: Tom Angell – (202) 557-4979 or media@leap.cc

Pro-Legalization Cops Cheer Marijuana Reform Election Results

2012-11-07T13:20:00.001-05:00

Nine States and Localities Vote for More Sensible Drug Laws

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Speakers Available for Comment

In a historic night for drug law reformers, on Tuesday Colorado and Washington passed measures legalizing and regulating marijuana, Massachusetts became the 18th state to allow medical marijuana and six localities voted to modernize policies on marijuana. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a group of cops, judges, prosecutors and other law enforcement officials advocating for the legalization of drugs, has speakers on hand to comment.

Norm Stamper, former Seattle police chief, had this to say: “I cannot tell you how happy I am that after forty years of the racist, destructive exercise in futility that is the war on drugs, my home state of Washington has now put us on a different path. There are people who have lost today: drug cartels, street gangs, those who profit from keeping American incarceration rates the highest in the world. For the rest of us, however, this is a win. It’s a win for taxpayers. It’s a win for police. It’s a win for all those who care about social justice. This is indeed a wonderful day.”

Reformers are now focused on successfully implementing the new marijuana legalization laws in Colorado and Washington, and on determining which states are most likely to enact legalization in the near future.

“Because of the victories in all of these places, we awakened this morning in a slightly better country. It’s a little safer, a little bit more just,” said Neill Franklin, Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and 34-year veteran of the Baltimore and Maryland State police departments. “And when the rest of the country follows the lead pioneered by the voters of Colorado and Washington, we’ll be closer to living in a country with a drug policy that is truly about public safety.”

Following is a list of all marijuana reform measures on the ballot across the country and a list of LEAP speakers available to discuss these historic reforms:

Colorado: Marijuana legalization - Passed!

Washington: Marijuana legalization - Passed!

Oregon: Marijuana legalization – Failed.

Massachusetts: Medical marijuana - Passed!

Arkansas: Medical marijuana – Failed.

Detroit, MI: Decriminalization of adult marijuana possession - Passed!

Flint, MI: Decriminalization of adult marijuana possession - Passed!

Ypsilanti, MI: Marijuana to be lowest law enforcement priority - Passed!

Grand Rapids, MI: Decriminalization of adult marijuana possession - Passed!

Kalamazoo, MI: Three medical marijuana dispensaries permitted in city - Passed!

Burlington, VT: Recommendation that marijuana should be legalized - Passed!

Montana: Referendum restricting medical marijuana likely to pass.

Sampling of LEAP speakers available for comment:

Washington

* Norm Stamper, former Seattle police chief

* Matt McCally, former corrections official

Colorado

* Tony Ryan, retired 36-year veteran of the Denver police force

* Jason Thomas, former Colorado detention officer and marshal’s deputy

* Sean McAllister, former assistant attorney general for the state of Colorado

Massachusetts

* Karen Hawkes, retired Massachusetts state trooper and medical marijuana patient

* Jack Cole, LEAP co-founder and former undercover narcotics agent

Other Speakers

* Neill Franklin, LEAP executive director and 34-year Baltimore narcotics cop

* Stephen Downing, Former LAPD Deputy Chief of Police

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 7, 2012

CONTACT: Tom Angell – (202) 557-4979 or media @leap.cc

Darby Beck - (415) 823-5496 or darby@leap.cc

Full Election Results for All Measures

2012-11-07T13:08:00.000-05:00

What an incredible night! Nine victories for drug law reform all across the country! In case you missed it, here is a summary of results and links to the pages where they can be found for all marijuana measures appearing on the ballot last night.

Colorado Amendment 64: Marijuana legalization - Passed! http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/43032/110893/en/summary.html#

Washington I-502: Marijuana legalization - Passed!

http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/Initiative-Measure-No-502-Concerns-marijuana.html

Oregon Measure 80: Marijuana legalization – Failed. http://www.oregonvotes.gov/results/2012G/645489344.html

Massachusetts Question 3: Medical marijuana - Passed!

http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2012/general/mass-ballot-question-3-election-results-2012.html

Arkansas Issue 5: Medical marijuana – Failed.

http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/AR/42843/110897/en/summary.html

Detroit, MI Proposal M: Decriminalization of adult marijuana possession - Passed!

http://www.waynecounty.com/documents/elections_docs/1112P_345a.pdf

Flint, MI City Code Amendment: Decriminalization of adult marijuana possession - Passed!

http://www.co.genesee.mi.us/clerk/images/Election%20results/CurrentElecResults/elecdata/summary.htm

Ypsilanti, MI: Marijuana to be police’s lowest priority - Passed!

http://electionresults.ewashtenaw.org/nov2012/cumulativereport.html

Grand Rapids, MI Proposal 2: Decriminalization of adult marijuana possession - Passed!

http://www.electionmagic.com/results/mi/K41results/K4100602sum.htm#02Ci

Kalamazoo, MI: Three medical marijuana dispensaries permitted in city - Passed!

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/11/kalamazoo_medical_marijuana_di_1.html

Burlington, VT: Recommendation that marijuana should be legalized - Passed!

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20121106/NEWS03/311060027/-1/RSS22?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Montana: Referendum restricting medical marijuana likely to pass.

http://electionresults.sos.mt.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=BQ&map=CTY

Journalists wishing to arrange interviews with LEAP speakers should contact Tom Angell at media@leap.cc or Darby Beck at darby@leap.cc.

More Election Results

2012-11-07T07:37:00.000-05:00

On an otherwise spectacular evening for drug law reform, and amid what appear to be victories for decriminalization in Flint and Ypsilanti, voters in Arkansas defeated Issue 5, an initiative to allow medical marijuana, and Oregonians fail to approve their own statewide legalization measure.

LEAP speaker and former federal agent Jamie Haase on Arkansas:

"While medical marijuana consistently polls at 70-80% support nationwide, no one thought it was going to be easy passing a medical marijuana law in the South. However, the close election result tonight does show that there is a large and growing constituency of supporters here and that this is an issue that needs to be taken seriously by politicians. While people who use medical marijuana with their doctors' recommendations are still at risk of being arrested in Arkansas, we know that the day when the law will allow medical professionals rather than politicians to make medical decisions is closer than ever."

LEAP Executive Director and 36-year police veteran Neill Franklin on Oregon:

"We had, of course, hoped to complete the trifecta for marijuana legalization wins tonight, and the fact that we fell short in Oregon is disappointing. But the voters of Colorado and Washington have shown that, just as occurred during the repeal of alcohol prohibition, the states will be the ones setting the standard for nationwide reform."

Journalists wishing to arrange interviews with LEAP speakers should contact Tom Angell at media@leap.cc or Darby Beck at darby@leap.cc.

End-of-the-Night Thoughts

2012-11-07T03:10:00.000-05:00

On the night of this historic election, I am once again humbled and awed by the devotion of my colleagues who worked so hard for the victories we have achieved today and by the wisdom of the voters in Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, Detroit and elsewhere who cast their votes for a smarter and more humane justice system. Most of my experience with the war on drugs has been characterized by loss. Today the story of my experience has turned to one of hope. The pace of reform is increasing. It took us a long time to get here, but we have finally begun to win the war on drugs by realizing it is time for that war to end.

Thanks to all of you,
Neill Franklin, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Journalists wishing to arrange interviews with LEAP speakers should contact Tom Angell at media@leap.cc or Darby Beck at darby@leap.cc.

Detroit Voters Decriminalize Marijuana

2012-11-07T01:00:00.000-05:00

In the latest in a series of a victories for drug law reform advocates, Detroit voters just passed Proposal M, decriminalizing marijuana.

"The Motor City once again proved itself a leader in civic innovation as voters opted to decriminalize adult possession of small amounts of marijuana tonight," said LEAP Executive Director Neill Franklin, "It will now join the ranks of other states and localities who have successfully implemented similar policies, demonstrating to the rest of the country the wisdom and justice of such models."

Journalists wishing to arrange interviews with LEAP speakers should contact Tom Angell at media@leap.cc or Darby Beck at darby@leap.cc.

Washington ALSO Legalizes Marijuana!

2012-11-06T23:49:00.000-05:00

Not one but two states have voted to legalize marijuana tonight! Washington just joined Colorado in making history!

You know LEAP has something to say about it. Here's a reaction from LEAP speaker and former Seattle police Chief Norm Stamper:

"With these two victories tonight in Colorado and Washington, the movement for drug policy reform has never been stronger. These votes will embolden leaders of countries in Latin America and elsewhere who have wanted to change their drug policies but haven't because of pressure from the U.S. government. As more and more states follow the example set here tonight, the federal government will have little choice but to accept the will of the people both here and abroad. Expect to see previously silent legalization supporters around the globe seizing the momentum created by tonight's historic victories."

Journalists wishing to arrange interviews with LEAP speakers should contact Tom Angell at media@leap.cc or Darby Beck at darby@leap.cc.

Colorado Makes History By Legalizing Marijuana!!!

2012-11-06T23:11:00.001-05:00

This is what we've been waiting for! According to the local NBC affiliate,voters in Colorado just made their state the first ever to legalize marijuana.

Here's what LEAP speaker Tony Ryan, a 36 year veteran of the Denver police department, has to say:

"Tonight, Colorado voters made history by passing the first marijuana legalization law in the country. As a law enforcement professional who arrested more people for marijuana than I'd like to admit, I've been waiting years for this day. Tonight I'm proud to say that my home state is the first to strike a blow against decades of marijuana prohibition. Now we must seize the momentum kickstarted by voters tonight and make sure that more lawmakers take action in state legislatures and on the congressional level."

Journalists wishing to arrange interviews with LEAP speakers should contact Tom Angell at media@leap.cc or Darby Beck at darby@leap.cc.

Massachusetts Legalizes Medical Marijuana!

2012-11-06T22:08:00.004-05:00

The Boston Globe just declared the voters of Massachusetts have passed an initiative making the Bay State the 18th in the nation to enact a medical marijuana law.

Here's a quick reaction from LEAP speaker Karen Hawkes, a former Massachusetts state trooper who has used medical marijuana to ease her own pain:

"Today Massachusetts voters made the compassionate and sensible choice to let medical decisions be made by doctors and their patients. As a former Massachusetts state trooper and as someone who has personally benefited from the use of medical marijuana, I thank my fellow Bay Staters for this decision. My former colleagues will never again have to arrest a seriously ill person just for following their doctor’s recommendation and I myself will no longer have to choose between living in pain and living my life in fear."

Stay tuned right here all night to see the results of other marijuana initiatives across the country as they are announced.

Journalists wishing to arrange interviews with LEAP speakers should contact Tom Angell at media@leap.cc or Darby Beck at darby@leap.cc.

Montana Votes on Medical Marijuana

2012-11-06T15:22:00.002-05:00

Voters in Montana just reaffirmed their support for medical marijuana, voting against a referendum that would have restricted the voter-approved law.

Here's a quick reaction from LEAP's Tony Ryan, a 36-year veteran Denver cop who has spent a lot of time in Montana:

"Tonight the voters of Montana reaffirmed their commitment to responsible regulation of the medical marijuana industry. They have seen that the current law not only helps seriously ill patients have safe access to their doctor-recommended medicine, but it creates jobs, generates tax revenue and takes money away from gangs and cartels who would otherwise control street sales of marijuana."

“It’s unfortunate the Montana Senate felt it necessary to override the democratically made decision of its constituents with a bill limiting the medical marijuana law currently on the books in the state. Tonight’s defeat at the ballot is more reflective of voter confusion than of voter will, which was already demonstrated with the passage of I-148."

Journalists wishing to arrange interviews with LEAP speakers should contact Tom Angell at media@leap.cc or Darby Beck at darby@leap.cc.

What to Watch for Tonight: Marijuana Reform on the Ballot

2012-11-06T13:38:00.001-05:00

Tonight will be one to remember for drug law reform! Marijuana reform measures are on the ballots of several states and localities, including three statewide legalization measures in Colorado, Oregon and Washington. Check in with the LEAP blog frequently throughout the night: We will be posting periodic updates on the following measures:

Colorado, Amendment 64: Initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults over

21.

Oregon, Measure 80: Initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults over 21.

Washington, I-502: Initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults over 21.

Arkansas, Issue 5: Initiative to allow medical marijuana for certain conditions.

Massachusetts, Question 3: Initiative to allow medical marijuana for certain conditions.

Montana, Referendum 124: Referendum on Senate Bill 423 that changed medical

marijuana law approved by voters in I-148. Yes vote would overturn the democratic law

and further restrict medical marijuana.

Detroit, MI, Proposal M: Initiative amending city code to remove criminal penalties for

possession of less than one ounce of marijuana on private property by adults (21+).

Flint, MI: Initiative amending city code to remove criminal penalties for possession of

less than one ounce of marijuana on private property by adults (19+).

Ypsilanti, MI: An initiative making enforcement of laws against possessing small

amounts of marijuana by adults (21+) the city’s lowest law enforcement priority.

Grand Rapids, MI, Proposal 2: Would make possession of marijuana a civil offense,

punishable by a fine only (like a traffic ticket) rather than jail time.

Kalamazoo, MI, Charter Amendment Proposal #7: An initiative that would allow up to

three medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

Burlington, VT: Question to measure support for statewide marijuana legalization.

Journalists seeking to interview pro-legalization law enforcers or looking for any further information should contact Tom Angell at media@leap.cc and/or Darby Beck at darby@leap.cc.

One Marijuana Arrest Every 42 Seconds in U.S.

2012-10-29T14:07:00.000-04:00

New FBI Numbers Reveal Failure of "War on Drugs"

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Just over one week before voters in three states will decide on ballot measures to legalize and regulate marijuana, the FBI has released a new report today showing that police in the U.S. arrest someone for marijuana every 42 seconds and that 87% of those arrests are for possession alone.

A group of police, judges and other law enforcement officials advocating for the legalization and regulation of marijuana and other drugs pointed to the figures showing more than 750,000 marijuana arrests in 2011 -- more than 40 years after the start of the "war on drugs" -- as evidence that this is a war that can never be won. With more than 1.5 million total drug arrests drug arrests being reported in the U.S. in 2011, that’s one drug arrest every 21 seconds.

"Even excluding the costs involved for later trying and then imprisoning these people, taxpayers are spending between one and a half to three billion dollars a year just on the police and court time involved in making these arrests," said Neill Franklin, a retired Baltimore narcotics cop who now heads the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). "That’s a lot of money to spend for a practice that four decades of unsuccessful policies have proved does nothing to reduce the consumption of drugs. Three states have measures on the ballot that would take the first step in ending this failed war by legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana. I hope they take this opportunity to guide the nation to a more sensible approach to drug use.”

Today's FBI report, which can be found at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/persons-arrested/persons-arrested, shows that 81.8% of drug arrests were for possession only, and just under half (49.5%) of all drug arrests were for marijuana.

One hopeful sign is that these numbers have decreased slightly from those of the prior year. This is perhaps reflective of the growing number of communities across the country that have recognized the need for drug law reform and implemented new policies designed to alleviate the harms of the drug war, such as the deprioritization of marijuana enforcement.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 29, 2012

CONTACT: Tom Angell - (202) 557-4979 or media@leap.cc

Marijuana Legalization Films and the Cops Who Love Them (And the Donors Who Love Those Cops)

2012-10-25T17:30:00.000-04:00

Last night’s Long Beach screening of the new documentary Legalize It was a smashing success, drawing crowds from many quarters to hear the tale of a pioneering social movement and the future of drug law reform. The screening was hosted by Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a group of law enforcement officials opposed to the war on drugs. A number of LEAP speakers appear in the documentary, which followed the narrowly defeated 2010 campaign to legalize marijuana in California, and were on hand afterward to discuss the issues raised in the film.

“It boggles my mind that marijuana is still illegal,” said former police officer Kyle Kazan, “Few policy changes would do more to end budget deficits, increase public safety, restore community trust in the police and improve racial relations in this country than ending the prohibition of marijuana. The Prop. 19 campaign may not have succeeded in changing the law, but it did change a lot of minds. It set the stage for reform in places like Washington, Oregon and Colorado, where voters are now poised to make history by ending these ridiculous laws once and for all.”

A panel discussion featuring law enforcement, clergy and others followed the film. There was also an awards ceremony honoring the pioneering medical cannabis educators at Oaksterdam University. Many in the room remarked on the parallels with initiative campaigns to legalize marijuana currently on the ballot in three states and several localities.

LEAP speaker and retired Redondo Beach Lieutenant Commander Diane Goldstein commented, “The fact that we sold out this theater is indicative of a growing belief in the failure of current marijuana policy. Public support has never been higher. Cities and states all across the nation are instituting reforms and at this point, change is inevitable. When that change comes, we will all be indebted to those on the Prop. 19 campaign who first forged the path toward ending prohibition.”

Willie Nelson Marijuana Legalization Documentary Presented by Pro-Legalization Cops

2012-10-16T15:25:00.000-04:00

Special Screening with Chance to Meet Film’s Stars at Pre-Film Wine & Appetizer Reception

Panel Discussion, Award Presentation to Follow

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Law Enforcement Against Prohibition presents a special preview screening of Willie Nelson’s Luck Films’ new documentary Legalize It on the Prop. 19 campaign to legalize marijuana in California in 2010. A discussion of the film, the campaign and similar measures currently on the ballot in Washington, Oregon and Colorado will follow the screening. Guests purchasing a Gold Status ticket will also have a chance to mingle with many of those portrayed in the film at a private reception beforehand.

What: Legalize It, a documentary about the Prop. 19 campaign

When: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 7-10pm

Where: Art Theatre of Long Beach, 2025 E. 4th Street, Long Beach

How: Tickets available online and start at $10; Reception starts at $50. Please see the website www.leap.cc/california-benefit/ or contact Diane Goldstein (diane.goldstein@leap.cc or 714.232.3722) to learn more or for information on sponsorship packages.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is a nonprofit organization of cops, judges, prosecutors and other law enforcement officials dedicated to ending the prohibition of marijuana. Several LEAP speakers who appear in the film, including former LAPD Deputy Chief Stephen Downing and Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate and former judge Jim Gray, will be on hand for interviews. Jeff and Dale Sky Jones and Richard Lee of Oaksterdam University will be on hand to receive a special award, and Rick Schlosser of the California Council of Churches, Producer Ravit Markus and other drug reform activists will attend the private reception and appear on the panel following the film.

Legalize It, a labor of love from award-winning filmmaker Dan Katzir and producers Ravit Markus and Lati Grobman of Campbell Grobman Films, is a sensitive and humorous behind-the-scenes look at a colorful campaign, the unlikely people running it and the disparate groups who both opposed and endorsed it. In the end, the passion and courage of the campaign leaders transformed a local ballot measure into a mainstream political topic and changed minds the world over.

“In any battle, the people who go in first are going to take one hell of a beating. In the fight to legalize marijuana, the Prop. 19 campaign folks were those people. If and when ballot measures in other states succeed, it will be because these folks cleared the way.” – LEAP Executive Director Neill Franklin

See more about the film and its Long Beach screening at www.legalizeitmovie.com/ or www.leap.cc/california-benefit/.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) represents law enforcement officials who, after fighting on the front lines of the "war on drugs," came to believe that prohibition only serves to worsen substance abuse and violence. More info at

www.CopsSayLegalizeMarijuana.com.

Cops and Judges Support Colorado's Marijuana Regulation Ballot Measure

2012-09-20T13:55:00.000-04:00

National Black and Latino Police Groups Announce Endorsements for Amendment 64

Reporters Can Ask Cops Questions on 3:30 PM ET Teleconference Today

DENVER, CO -- A group of police officers, judges and prosecutors who support Amendment 64, the Colorado ballot measure to regulate marijuana like alcohol, held a press conference on Thursday to release a letter of endorsement signed by law enforcers from across the state and to announce the endorsement of the national police organizations Blacks in Law Enforcement of America and the National Latino Officers Association.

For journalists who couldn’t physically attend the press conference, the Yes on 64 campaign is holding a conference call on Thursday at 3:30 PM ET, featuring several anti-prohibition law enforcers. For dial-in info, please contact Tom Angell at 202-557-4979 or media@leap.cc.

"After spending many, many years trying in good faith to enforce these marijuana prohibition laws, I can report unequivocally that they just don't work," said Tony Ryan, a 36-year veteran Denver police lieutenant, now a board member for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). "But it's worse than that. Beyond just being ineffective, these laws waste important law enforcement resources that could instead be going to things that actually protect public safety, like solving and preventing murders, rapes and robberies."

The sign-on letter from the law enforcers can be read online at http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/law-enforcement

Ron Hampton, a former police officer who is executive director of Blacks in Law Enforcement of America, which has endorsed Amendment 64, added, "Keeping these outdated prohibition laws on the books accomplishes nothing to reduce marijuana use, but it does cause incredible damage to our communities of color. Even though African Americans use marijuana at a rate virtually identical to that of whites, people from our community are arrested, sentenced and jailed at a much higher rate. Passing Amendment 64, while it won't solve all our problems, is a great step toward ensuring equality for all under the law."

Anthony Miranda of the National Latino Officers Association added, “Right now, communities of color see the police as aggressors rather than as protectors. People are unwilling to come to us, to give us information, even to report crimes, because they see us as the enemy. When Amendment 64 passes, we’ll be one step closer to rebuilding that community trust that allows us to effectively perform our jobs."

In the sign-on letter released at the press conference, law enforcers outline their reasons for supporting Amendment 64, detailing how legalizing and regulating marijuana will:

* Put our police priorities where they belong, by ending the arrests of non-violent marijuana users and enabling police to focus instead on preventing violent crime

* Cut off funding to violent gangs and drug cartels, who generate the majority of their revenue from illegal marijuana sales

* Protect the lives of police officers now in the line of fire in the "drug war"

* Reduce marijuana access to children by instituting strict age-limits and public safety controls

* Restore mutual respect and good relations between law enforcement and communities bearing the brunt of the current marijuana laws

Mr. Ryan, the former Denver police officer, added, "This November, Coloradans have the opportunity to take millions of dollars away from the gangs and cartels that currently control the illegal marijuana trade and put that money into our tax coffers, where it will be used to improve schools, pay police officers and protect our environment."

These law enforcement leaders join other leaders who support Amendment 64, such as the Colorado/Montana/Wyoming NAACP Conference, the Colorado Democratic Party, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, college professors, doctors, Latino community leaders, faith leaders, labor leaders, business leaders, elected officials and more. For a full list of endorsements, please visit: http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/endorsements

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy estimates that marijuana taxes could generate $60 million in tax revenue and savings each year. Under the initiative, the first $40 million raised each year will be earmarked for school improvement, while the rest will be available to fund law enforcement, healthcare and other critical needs. http://www.cclponline.org/publication_library/pub/single/1188/amendment-64-study

Similar to current alcohol laws, Amendment 64 will give state and local governments the ability to control and tax the sale of small amounts of marijuana to adults age 21 and older. The measure includes significant safeguards and controls: It maintains strict criminal penalties for driving under the influence of marijuana, allows employers to maintain their current employment policies and does not change existing medical marijuana laws.

Multiple polls reveal that Colorado voters support Amendment 64, including a Denver Post/Survey USA poll released this week showing the measure ahead 51-40. http://www.denverpost.com/news/marijuana/ci_21548398/colorado-marijuana-legalization-initiative-leads-new-poll

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) represents police, prosecutors, judges, corrections officials and others who, after fighting on the front lines of the "war on drugs," came to believe that prohibition only serves to worsen substance abuse and violence. More info at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeMarijuana.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 20, 2012
CONTACT: Tom Angell - (202) 557-4979 or media@leap.cc

Will Obama "Tackle" the Drug War in a Second Term?

2012-07-02T12:46:00.004-04:00

Political reporter Marc Ambinder is out with an "exclusive" report that President Obama plans to "tackle" the failed drug war if he is granted a second term.

Exclusive: In His Second Term, Obama Will Pivot to the Drug War

Sounds exciting, but don't be fooled by the big headline because the piece itself contains zero details about what the administration allegedly has in mind. A skeptical observer could easily come away from reading this piece thinking that administration/campaign people who recognize the drug war's vast political unpopularity are being somewhat disingenuous with Ambinder.

Obama -- as candidate and as president -- and his drug czar have already repeatedly talked about scaling back the war on drugs. But it's been all talk. Drug Czar Kerlikowske, in his very first interview with the Wall Street Journal after taking office, declared the end of the "war on drugs" terminology. He has repeatedly said that this is a health and not just a crime issue. But the problem is: the drug control budget still overwhelmingly devotes more resources to old, failed punishment strategies than to effective treatment and prevention strategies. The rhetoric doesn't match the reality.

So while Ambinder's story says the administration will use the "bully pulpit" to talk about this issue in the second term, they have already done so in the first term. Sure, maybe the president himself could do more to forcefully champion this debate, but absent any real policy action it's not going to make a difference in the real medical problem of substance abuse, and it's not going to impress anyone.

Absent any specifics whatsoever about what the president might do during a possible second term, Ambinder's piece today does a disservice to the emerging debate surrounding this issue by letting the administration continue to get away with claiming that they're going to revamp drug polices without actually taking much meaningful action toward that end.

Hopefully Ambinder is working on a follow up piece that will go into some real detail as to what, if any, policy changes the administration has in mind for a second term.

It's also more than a little disappointing to seem Ambinder going out of his way to poo-poo the importance of legalizing marijuana.

And the next time a celebrity makes it seem like legalizing marijuana is the be all and end all of drug law reform, slap him in the face. (Metaphorically, unless you want to get your time on TMZ). Legalizing pot is the least of it.

Marijuana arrests account for for half of all drug arrests in the U.S. every year, and these unnecessary law enforcement encounters leave far too many people with criminal records that prevent them from getting jobs, going to school and making something of themselves. And let's not forget that marijuana is a huge cash crop for gangs and cartels that cut people's heads off. Legalized regulation would deal a bigger financial blow to organized crime than any level of law enforcement dedication or skill in the revolving door "drug war" ever can.

Perhaps Ambinder's worst mistake in the piece is a factual error:

Don't expect miracles. There is very little the president can do by himself.

Actually, the administration can take very significant unilateral action on this issue, including the rescheduling of marijuana and other drugs as per the Controlled Substances Act. This can be done administratively without congressional action.

So while we're all of course hoping that the next president -- no matter who he is -- will take meaningful action to address failed and harmful drug policies, Ambinder's report adds nothing new to the emerging drug policy debate except, perhaps, the news that at least some White House or campaign officials are beginning to see the electoral value in their candidate being seen as a drug policy reformer.