THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES TO `ZERO TOLERANCE'

I beg to differ with City Councilman Martin O'Malley in his claim that
"zero tolerance" law enforcement is "the only way to cut the homicide rate."

Councilman O'Malley is not using his imagination. We could declare martial
law in the inner cities, suspending the pesky civil rights that slow down
the judicial process. We could impose the death penalty for many more
categories of crime. We could subject families in which many homicides
occur to intense scrutiny and control.

All of these things might bring down the homicide rate as effectively as
"zero tolerance." And before we call these solutions much less benign, we
should consider that "zero tolerance" includes arresting citizens for
jaywalking, and imposing long jail terms for nonviolent crimes.

Obviously, the solutions we want are not those that divide and oppress us,
but those that help us live together in peace. The City Wide Coalition's
mayoral candidate A. Robert Kaufman and his running mate (for president of
the City Council) David G. S. Greene propose treating drug addiction as a
medical problem, with accessible treatment options, and a program to
administer heroin under doctors' supervision to incurable addicts through
neighborhood clinics.

In Zurich, such a program has reduced drug-related crime by 60 percent.
Baltimore police estimate that 75 percent of homicides and 90 percent of
the felonies are drug-related. Addicts commit crimes for money to buy
drugs. Dealers commit crimes to defend their turf. Fewer drugs sold on the
street mean less crime.

The City Wide Coalition has zero tolerance for the drug trade that enslaves
our most vulnerable citizens and torments our city with violent crime. We
will attack this trade in the only practical way, by programs that take the
profits out of drugs.

Sarah Ruden

Baltimore