POLICE USE PROPER METHODS

After reading about the recent drug arrests of some 49 students in Alamance
County using an undercover officer posing as a student, I wondered how long
it would be before someone complained about the investigation or the way the
police handled the incident. It didn't take long. Kristin Gregory ("Police
use questionable ploy," Feb. 11) used her Teen View column to complain about
the use of an undercover officer. At first, I thought what a shame it was to
waste a perfect opportunity to comment about teen drug use or drugs in
schools. Students were arrested primarily for marijuana, but cocaine, heroin
and ecstasy were also found. Did Gregory find this troubling? Indeed she
did. She found it so bothersome that she dedicated one line of her column to
the students who were charged with the crimes, stating, "They were fully
aware of what they were doing and that it was illegal." The rest of the
column was dedicated to her idea of "questionable practices" by the police.

Gregory needs to realize that this operation was 100 percent legal. Neither
the Alamance County Sheriff's Department nor the undercover officer did
anything illegal. Undercover officers have been used for a very long time,
and no matter how much this "deception" offends Gregory's moral values, she
has nothing to complain about.

I was very interested in her claims of, "We are selling the idea that it's
OK to lie as long as there is supposed to be a good outcome." No, we are
selling the idea that there are people who are dealing drugs in schools,
which in turn endangers the lives of the children at these schools. The
police used a perfectly legitimate, legal and effective method to arrest
those who would sell narcotics at school.

Gregory stated that there are other ways to accomplish the task. What does
she base this opinion on, her many years of law-enforcement experience? Or
was it the more typical "It's not fair that the police get to do that" type
of attitude that seems to be prevalent in teens these days? While there are
other ways to fight drugs in schools, this seems to be the most effective at
not only removing drug dealers, but also sending a message to potential
dealers.

Consider a world where "government employees" are not permitted to engage in
undercover operations. This would affect not just narcotics investigations
but also murder-for-hire schemes where officers pose as hit men and
ultimately stop a murder. What if the federal government stopped using
undercover agents? What if we had been able to get an agent inside the
al-Qaida network and avoided Sept. 11? Would Gregory have been so outspoken
because the agent misrepresented his identity?

I commend the Alamance County Sheriff's Department and the officer for doing
what they could to get drug dealers out of schools. Of course, I am sure
there are many people who agree with Gregory that undercover officers are
unfair and they should not be allowed to lie about who they are. I am sure
there are at least 49 people up in Alamance County who would support
Gregory's views.

Ken Leonard

Thomasville