DRUG MEASURE CALLS FOR REHAB, NOT JAIL

L.A. Police Worry Law Will Cut Sting Operations

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Police fear new drug laws could undermine their
undercover operations and contribute to the reopening of "drug
alleys" in neighborhoods across the region.

Some police officials and prosecutors worry that Proposition 36 -- a
measure requiring treatment rather than jail for many drug offenders
- -- will discourage law enforcement agencies from performing drug sting
operations.

With drug buyers less likely to go to jail, some believe that
cash-strapped departments may eventually switch resources away to
focus on other operations.

"That is a very realistic fallout from Proposition 36," said
Fullerton police Sgt. Joe Klein, who chairs a chapter of the
California Narcotics Officers Association.

"I think that everybody is worried about it, but no one knows how to
take care of it."

Proposition 36, which takes effect in June, requires treatment rather
than time behind bars for those convicted for the first or second time
of being under the influence of drugs or possessing drugs for their
personal use. Under current law, first-time offenders can enter a
treatment program instead of jail only if they plead guilty and a
judge agrees to the sentence.

For years, police have used undercover stings to clean up
drug-infested neighborhoods and "reverse stings" -- which usually
result in minor drug possession charges -- to send a message to drug
users to avoid certain areas.

Although officials insist that stings have been successful, the
passing of the proposition signifies the public is growing tired of
such police tactics that fail to tackle drug use as a medical problem.

"Voters in California . . . have sent a message to state officials
that harsh enforcement of drug laws is not wanted and does not work,"
said Elizabeth Schroeder, associate director of the American Civil
Liberties Union of Southern California. "Sting operations only
reinforce the old school of thought about how to effectively change
the behavior of people who are addicted to drugs."