SHOW OF FORCE MAY HELP, BUT WON'T STOP DRUG VIOLENCE

The Baltimore police deal with people at the end of the drug chain ("Why the
city's murder rate is so high," letters, Sept. 5). The drug war was lost at
the federal level years ago. What we see in Baltimore are the results.

At this point, the police need a show of force in all high-crime areas. The
police must respond to 911 calls faster. They must get out of their cars and
confront the criminals. They must enforce the laws against loitering.

Police must get guns out of the hands of juveniles and criminals and enforce
school truancy laws and laws against littering and public drinking.

The police need to patrol the streets, two and three officers at a time.

But we can't arrest our way out of this drug crisis. The jails are already
full of drug users and dealers. Unfortunately, the people have spoken -- and
many of them want drugs. The drug problem is a matter of supply and demand.

For any headway to be made in this crisis, drugs must be decriminalized. If
we take the profit out of the drug business, the violence will disappear --
and then we can get the murder rate down.

Ray Gibson, Baltimore

SHOW OF FORCE MAY HELP, BUT WON'T STOP DRUG VIOLENCE

The Sun's front-page article "Police break up east-side drug ring" (Sept. 7)
quoted police Commissioner Edward T. Norris saying, "We've made quite a dent
in the East Baltimore drug trade."

A "dent" is the perfect metaphor, because a dent does not hinder a car from
running, but only makes it uglier.

Other dealers will now shoot it out for the turf of the arrested dealers.
Innocent people may be killed in the crossfire. The supply of drugs having
temporarily gone down, the price will go up.

When the price goes up, addicts will commit more muggings and burglaries to
pay for their habits and the residents of Baltimore will suffer.

We saw this all before with alcohol prohibition, and we've now been putting
dents in the drug trade for more than 30 years. It's time to repeal drug
prohibition.

Henry Cohen, Baltimore