NO DRUGS AMNESTY FOR CAPITAL AFTER ALL...

Evening News Article Took Comments "Wildly Out of Context"

Glasgow Professor Calls for Crack-Down on Drug Misuse

The Journal is able to clarify that the Edinburgh Evening News's
announcement of an impending drug amnesty in Edinburgh was not
factually accurate.

The article, published on Monday 26 November, claimed that "People
carrying 'small' quantities of cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and other
illegal substances would simply have them confiscated" under a new
proposal by the police force aiming to free up police resources.

However, Lothian and Borders Police has clarified that the allegedly
proposed amnesty is "a comment taken severely out of context."

As it transpires, a mere suggestion made at a conference was overheard
by a mystery police officer, who leaked the information to the Evening
News, resulting in a dubious front page story the following morning.

Unsurprisingly, the Evening News and its fellow Johnston Press-owned
publication The Scotsman were the only two papers to cover the story.

Speaking to The Journal, a senior official at the police press office
said: "This all began at a formal police briefing in the city centre,
where the attendants were discussing how to get more bobbies on the
beat."

He continued: "An unidentified officer overheard a suggestion made by
a colleague concerning the possibility of increasing the number of
on-duty police on the street by lessening the punishment for those
caught in minor possession of drugs.

"The officer concerned ripped the comment wildly out of context and
sold the false information to the Edinburgh Evening News that night.
Despite our best efforts, the story was published the following day."

The article, which went into considerably intricate detail for a
journalistic 'cock-and-bull story', also claimed: "Door staff at pubs
and clubs would also be told not to call police when they catch
someone carrying drugs for personal use. Instead, staff will be asked
to store them in sealed containers until they can be collected at a
later date by officers."

The article's credibility seemed questionable in more ways that one.
Ending with the statement: "A Scottish Government spokesman maintained
that cracking down on drug possession remained official policy," the
validity of the proposed amnesty appeared uncertain as the police
would require the government's overwhelming support if such a move
were to be implemented.

Furthermore, the story featured a quote from Councillor Iain Whyte,
convenor of the police board, who claimed, with regard to the
proposition of placing door staff in charge of the handling of
confiscated drugs: "This is not something that I have been made aware
of. I would be concerned to think that we encourage door staff to
confiscate drugs when we can't be sure where they would end up."

Clarifying the stance of Lothian and Borders police following the
Evening News's article, a spokesman for the force said: "Drug
possession is an issue that we take seriously as a force, and there
are no official plans to introduce an amnesty for minor drug
possession in the city centre.

"We are mindful that officers can be taken away from the street at
critical times to deal with cases of minor possession, but we are
equally mindful that the possession of drugs is unlawful.

"If we wanted to take this forward there would have to be approval
from the Chief Constable, as well as discussions with our partners in
Edinburgh City Council and the Crown Office.

"At this moment we have no plans to take this suggestion further."