DRUGS CHIEF: I QUIT AFTER MINISTERS FAILED ME

THE police chief spearheading Scotland's war on drugs quit his post
last night, blaming bureaucracy, under-manning and lack of
co-operation.

Graeme Pearson, head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency
(SCDEA), took an explosive sideswipe at ministers and fellow police
chiefs as he left office more than two years early, declaring he
"would not apply for his own job".

Pearson complained that his agency had never been fully staffed,
revealed some Scottish police forces refused to release experienced
officers for anti-drug campaigns, and suggested there was a lack of
ambition at the highest levels in dealing with the menace of drugs.

Pearson, one of Scotland's most experienced and respected police
leaders, also condemned the chief constable of North Wales as
"crackers" for suggesting all illegal drugs should be legitimised.
Pearson added that alcohol was the biggest drug of concern in
Scotland, saying many drug addicts started by binge-drinking aged 11
or 12.

Last night, one leading politician said Pearson's departure was a
great loss that would "delight the gangsters". Although Pearson
announced his resignation earlier this year, few expected him to
deliver such a devastating verdict on progress in the drugs war. His
post as SCDEA director-general is unlikely to be filled for months.

Pearson took up the job in March 2004 and he was not due to step down
until 2010. He is credited with turning around the fortunes of the
SCDEA, which seized Class A drugs worth more than UKP60m in the past 18
months.

Explaining his reasons for stepping down in an exclusive interview
with Scotland on Sunday, Pearson said: "The agency has never been
fully staffed and I would say, on average, is about 10% down on what
it should be.

"One of the problems is that some of the forces find it difficult to
release staff to us because the pressures, at force level, encourage
forces to keep them there.

"The support has been willing but the reality has been weak. It is the
attention to detail which the agency needs. We need the top people
because of the job we do. Let's get the resources in to do that. The
agency needs the best to be the best, and that has to be
recognised."

Pearson also criticised the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA),
an umbrella body set up by ministers to take overall control of the
drugs agency, criminal records and fingerprinting. It was created to
streamline the police, but many believe it has only led to new layers
of bureaucracy.

Pearson said: "My estimation for the agency is not matched by the
ambition of the SPSA. I think it is best for me if I go and a new
director-general comes in. I could not guarantee that in
two-and-a-half years' time I would look back and see I had achieved
what I wanted to."

A police insider close to Pearson said: "The agency is at the
forefront of fighting serious and organised crime and is held in
extremely high regard both across the UK and abroad.

"But because of the SPSA, the agency is becoming locked into
bureaucracy. If the agency had not been working well before the SPSA
took over then that would have been a different matter, but it was."

The insider confirmed Pearson was also frustrated that some chief
constables in Scotland were reluctant to commit their own top officers
to the national battle against drugs.

Pearson also used his interview to reiterate his opposition to any
moves to legitimise illegal drugs, a call recently made by the chief
constable of North Wales, Richard Brunstrom.

Pearson said: "Richard Brunstrom is crackers to say a thing like that.
The Misuse of Drugs Act was put in place because it appeared that drug
use in Britain was out of control. He has not thought it out at all.

"Will we have drug stores on every high street? Will you have medical
professionals handing them out to the public? And what is a legitimate
drug? Is it Ecstasy, cannabis, heroin, crack cocaine? Anything?"

Pearson also highlighted alcohol as "the biggest drug of concern in
Scotland".

He said: "I regularly visit inmates at places like Polmont [Young
Offenders' Institute] and I ask them: 'Is there a gateway to drug
abuse?' And every time the answer comes back: 'Yes, alcohol.'

"I talk to the prisoners and so many of them tell me that they began
at the age of 11 or 12 years old, binge drinking before moving on to
drugs, starting with cannabis and then heading into other drugs. They
end up skipping school and then, eventually, they are kicked out and
they end up without any qualifications and before they know it they
are unable to do anything with their lives."

Paul Martin MSP, Labour's justice spokesman, said lessons had to be
learned from Pearson's decision to quit early and the reasons behind
it.

He said: "Scotland needs people like Graeme Pearson. He understands
the situation. Not only did he show determination, he showed real
leadership to get rid of some of the worst criminals in Scotland. News
that he is going will delight the gangsters.

"Bureaucracy needs to be kept in check. The bad guys do not work with
bureaucracy but we never seem to be able to take bureaucracy out of
the mix. The Executive has to show initiative and do something about
this."

Bill Aitken, Scottish Conservative justice spokesman, said: "The SCDEA
was starting to cut off the heads of the [drug] trade and was
exceptionally successful in doing so under Pearson's leadership.
Police forces have got to realise that the agency's activities are
pivotal in the fight against crime and there has to be a wider sense
of engagement. And the role of the SPSA has got to be examined."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "While most of the points
raised relate to the previous administration, the new Cabinet
Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill has already hit the ground
running and has made significant progress in the first six months of
government in addressing these concerns."