STOP POSING AS PROSTITUTES AND DRUG DEALERS

I am writing because I am tired of police entrapping our citizens by
posing as prostitutes or drug dealers ("Carroll Manor principal faces
prostitution charge," July 23). Prostitution and using drugs are
almost always "victimless" crimes to others.

I, for one, do not believe it to be a crime for two consenting
adults, of whatever gender, to have sex, or for a person to use any
substance, as long as no one else is endangered.

I'm beginning to believe that the police like this kind of work.
Posing as prostitutes and drug dealers is a lot safer for them than
going after really dangerous criminals. After all, prostitutes
usually don't shoot people, and adult book-stores are usually not
violent places. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them actually
enjoyed this kind of work. It even gets their names in the paper.

I grew up believing that the police were my friends and protectors. I
no longer believe this, and I have lost a lot of respect for what
they do. As long as the police get kudos for this kind of work, and
we criminalize victimless activities, calling them crimes, we will
continue to lose good and hard-working citizens who may not be
perfect, like the police.

And these gotcha tactics won't stop until we decriminalize these
victimless crimes, seeing them as perhaps poor choices, and even
personal tragedies, instead of as criminal offenses.

PAT SKIDMORE
New Market