DEALING WITH OFFENDERS SMACKS OF DEFEATISM

Victorian Police Commissioner Neil Comrie should hand in his badge. He has
apparently joined the ranks of those who think the best way to deal with
the drug problem is to surrender.

He believes that the hardline approach to drug law has not worked and that
a system of cautions should be introduced to deal with drug law offenders.

Mr Comrie's view of the drug laws was affected by a recent personal
experience he told Melbourne's alternate newspaper, The Age.

He said that a few weeks ago he learned that a friend's 22-year-old son had
become yet another drug overdose victim while visiting Melbourne.

The young man was apparently offered some high-purity and cheap heroin,
which he injected, and died.

"I don't think that society can abandon anyone who tries drugs," he says.
"There is an obligation on society to try to minimise the damage that they
do but also they need to minimise the damage they do to themselves."

Surely, Mr Comrie, society's obligation to try and minimise the damage drug
addicts do is best exercised by telling young people that illicit drug
usage is just not on.

No half measures, no harm minimisation nonsense about safe usage of illegal
drugs, just a plain and simple bumper-sticker message that cannot possiblly
be misunderstood.

Something like Drug Use Will Not Be Tolerated.

While the death of any young person is a tragedy which the entire community
can understand and sympathise with, what exactly would Mr Comrie have
advised his friend's young son to do?

Water down his smack before injecting it? Is this really the sort of thing
the Victorian Police Commissioner might have advocated?

It is no surprise that Mr Comrie's position has been hailed by the pro-drug
legalisation support group The Australian Drug Foundation.

ADF chief Bill Stronach predictably immediately backed extending the
caution plan to harder drugs such as heroin.

"I think it's very sound because it's just a choice of drugs," Mr Stronach
said.

"Why would you do it for people using marijuana, which is also illegal, and
not for heroin and cocaine?"

Well, why not throw away speed limits, let people purchase fully automatic
weapons, tear up the very notion that laws should regulate behaviour.

In NSW, our police officers are undergoing one of the most difficult
periods in the history of the service.

Not only are they enduring gruelling and constant change in the wake of the
Wood royal commission but they are also being vilified by the civil
liberties lobby for their response to life-threatening situations.

Nevertheless, under Police Commissioner Peter Ryan, they have recently
conducted one of the largest operations against the illegal drug market
ever seen in our State. Real charges have been laid.

Mr Comrie is clearly depressed about the appalling situation he faces and
seems to be of the view that he has been beaten.

Perhaps he should read the story which graced the front page of most
editions of this newspaper yesterday. The story about a junkie couple who
have straightened out their lives after being caught trying to rob a milk
bar run by the woman's parents.

Would they have been given this chance to straighten out and a wonderful
new lease of life in Mr Comrie's Victoria, or would they have been
cautioned and advised to use clean needles in future?