ARE WE LOSING THE WAR?

Despite Millions of Dollars and Crowded Prisons, Drugs Are Still a Problem

Fact: The proliferation of illegal drugs over the past 30 or 40 years
has profoundly impacted our world -- from individual household
tragedies to global foreign ramifications -- no venue has been immune.

Fact: Billions of dollars are dedicated annually to eradicate foreign
sources, to interdict supplies and suppliers, to arrest and punish
those profiting from the drug trade, and to treat and counsel those
consumers who sustain the market.

Fact: Drugs are more available today, in larger quantities and from
more disparate sources, than ever before -- and the sophistication of
drug distributors has paralleled the increased expenditure of
resources to stem the tide.

Drug profiteers are parasites on American society. The removal of
corner street dealers, or larger regional distributors, or of
international drug cartels has provided minimal temporary relief in
that the profit motive will always provide a replacement.

Whether it is the dealer at 22nd and Lamotte in Wilmington or the
poppy farmer in Afghanistan, someone will always fill the void.

I have profound respect for the law enforcement officers with whom I
have worked and who have dedicated themselves to attacking those drug
traffickers who keep the supply lines open -- a multi-kilo bust in
New Castle County is not dissimilar to federal probation agents in
Chicago in the 20's knocking down the door of a warehouse and
chopping up beer kegs -- it feels good, but we know how successful
prohibition efforts proved to be.

The overwhelming majority of Delawareans are not drug dealers, but we
pay dearly for those who are. We pay out-of-pocket for law
enforcement, courts, lawyers, corrections and therapy. We pay for
property loss and personal injury through theft, burglary, robbery --
and worse -- and we continue to sacrifice a portion of each
generation to the drug epidemic.

Question: What have we gotten from our efforts?

An argument could be made that if not for the monies spent to date on
the drug war we would be experiencing more profoundly negative
consequences of the drug market -- legions of additional addicts,
increased crime, and more suffering. That may be so. I do strongly
sense, however, that the returns on our efforts and the financial
commitments to this war have had minimal lasting impact. If I am able
to order up substantial quantities of drugs from a selection of
dealers in New Castle County, on short notice, this war is being
waged behind blue smoke and mirrors.

It is not popular to raise thoughts of "decriminalization" or of
abandoning those efforts that we have been pursuing for decades --
politicians consider it career suicide, and the public is generally opposed.

I have no political agenda, and I have no solutions. I do, however,
have protracted experience in the criminal arena and I suggest that
it is time to retool our focus. Legislating against some traits of
human behavior, such as prostitution and prohibition, have been
abysmal failures, and why should we think drugs are any different.

The profit incentive drives the drug market, and a substantial
portion of street violence and criminal activity are the result.
Reduce a $200-a-day drug habit to $10 a day and the numbers of
convenience-store and street robberies will be reduced. Street corner
"turf" shootings will be impacted in that the flow of easy big money
will dry up.

Reduced crime means reductions in prison populations with a
substantial taxpayer savings. Monies now spent on those consequences
of the drug trade could be applied to therapy, counseling,
rehabilitation, job training, education or similar productive pursuits.

I do not vote anyone else's proxy in making these comments, but I can
report that a number of police officers, members of the Criminal
Justice Council, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys and
corrections staff, have spoken to me echoing my thoughts. I am
intrigued that those conversations have generally been in hushed tones.

I do not regard a recommendation for dialogue on this subject to be
blasphemy, and I do recognize that there are downsides to attempting
to reduce the profit from the drug market. I am equally aware,
however, that the societal impact of what we have been attempting
over the past many years has been frustrating, in large part
ineffective and expensive. Candid discussions today will impact the
next generation.