STOP ANTI-DRUG SURVEILLANCE

To the Editor:

Having witnessed the same bizarre phenomenon in previous years, I was not
completely surprised to observe the black surveillance helicopter flying a
low altitude grid pattern over the Chilmark woods last week. I was,
however, no less disturbed by its presence. It is no secret that the state
police, seeking the notorious marijuana, regularly carry out these
elaborate missions around this time every year. I feel compelled to offer a
few words from those of us on the ground.

The first thought I had as I resumed my woody task, was "What a complete
invasion of privacy." The next, "What a waste!" Think of all the manpower
and technology at work, the fuel and resources consumed, and all those tax
dollars spent. Our hard-earned money at work. I wondered if the wealthy
clients on whose house I was working found it as ironic as I did that the
strong arm of the money culture (protecting wealth, property, and
privilege) was potentially peeping in on their daughter, sunning behind the
trophy house fence.

It's actually reassuring in a way that the poor inner city neighborhoods
aren't the only places that get treated to the antagonistic buzz of police
helicopters overhead. Apparently we're all suspects, for one reason or another.

The fact that we sanction this perverse practice is reason enough to wonder
at the cohesion of our community. Is this the type of thing we should
tolerate? The words "Serve and Protect" come to mind, which seems almost
laughable in these times of a SWAT team in every village. Lest we feel too
persecuted, perhaps we should be thankful that we're not the poor Columbian
farmers who are being fumigated (again with our tax dollars, personnel, and
technology) for growing the crop that allows them the best ability to
participate in the seemingly inescapable global cash economy. Talk about a
rock and a hard place.

Back on this Island, all this happens for what? To find and destroy a
plant. To harass, intimidate, and incarcerate more than a few actual
people, farmers technically. Don't get me wrong, a community needs a police
force, but their focus should be on helping citizens and stopping violence
of any kind. Nationally we seem bent on incarcerating as many people as
possible. Low-level drug offenders make up a shockingly high percentage of
the ever-increasing (for- profit) prison population. The fact that this
population is so disproportionately black and brown and poor makes it
harder still not to assume nefarious intent.

As the sun and humidity levels simultaneously climbed, and the drone
overhead continued, it was feeling slightly oppressive. I thought of all
the things my tax dollars could be spent on, constantly improving schools,
public land acquisition, substance abuse counseling, music and art, voter
education, health care, carless transport, housing. Heck, raise my taxes if
I can decide where it's spent. How about 20 percent of our taxes goes
directly to budget items the taxpayer supports. Is that too much to ask?
That would be a good indicator of where our priorities are, and my guess is
they wouldn't be on busting people growing pot in the woods.

Shouldn't we as a community at least be having a discussion about this? Or
perhaps we should follow the lead of Starks, Maine, where the town
government passed bylaws that attempted establish their own no- fly zone
for surveillance flights. They must be organized up there in Maine, or
maybe theirs is the tighter community.

A few questions in closing, to anyone who can supply the answers: How much
does one hour of helicopter time cost? How many people are arrested every
year (by town or Island-wide)? What are the criteria for deciding where to
look? Is there a photographic record of the flyovers? Does it affect the
amount of marijuana available on the Island? Is it in our best interest as
a community to allow the continued surveillance of our homes and land?

Jaime Parker Chilmark and Portland, Maine