PUT AN END TO POLICE SECRECY

We are always suspicious when government tries to operate in secrecy. There
are only rare instances when government secrecy is warranted, such as
national security during wartime.

But the burning of $600,000 in seized drugs is definitely not an acceptable
activity to be conducted in secret. That is exactly what the Lima llen
County Narcotics Task Force did last week.

The reasoning? The people conducting the burning of the drugs want to
remain anonymous, according to Allen County Sheriff's Sgt. Clyde W.
Breitigan. Not a very good reason.

In addition to the anonymity issue, Sheriff's Maj. Larry Van Horn said they
don't publicize the burnings for fear that someone might try to hijack the
drugs. On the surface, that sounds like a reasonable precaution. However it
doesn't fully justify the total blanket of secrecy used. Even executions
require public witnesses.

Whenever a person performs an act on behalf of the taxpayers, the people
have a right to witness the deed and to know the identities of those
involved, including executions and the burning of seized drugs. That is
what open government is all about.

But the desire for secrecy is the kind of mentality America's so- called
war on drugs has spawned. Drug warriors across the nation have developed a
wartime military attitude about their work. Often, drug warriors conducting
raids wear black ski masks in order to hide their identity.

But the need to have such secrecy in dealing with the public should send
red flags flying. After all, is that the kind of police force Americans want?

Here's a thought. Perhaps the need for such secrecy would not be needed if
government ended its futile and immoral crusade against drug use.

Our concern with this secret burning rests on the accountability issue.

It is possible that corrupt police officials could report the drugs as
destroyed and turn around and sell the drugs to dealers.

Such corrupt behavior by police officials is not unheard of. There is a lot
of money involved in the illicit drug trade and that kind of money offers a
serious temptation to a corrupt individual.

Van Horn assured us that mulitple checks are in place to prevent such a
thing from happening. He said he knows of no such local incident ocurring.
While we tend believe him, how can we be absolutely sure when such secrecy
is in place?

We are not suggesting the drugs in this case weren't destroyed in the
manner described by police officials. The problem is, however, we can't say
with any certainty that the drugs were destroyed.

We urge local police officials to behave in a more open fashion, especially
when it comes to burning drug evidence. We hope future burns are conducted
in the open where the public can be assured that the evidence is actually
being destroyed.