POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD STICK TO ENFORCING POLICY

I wanted to express my gratitude for the fine work of Mr. Lawrence and his
colleagues [Letters, "Keep pot illegal for the sake of our kids," Oct. 3].
Thanks to him (and the efforts of millions of police officers nationwide),
marijuana has been considered the most easily attainable intoxicant for
children in 8th through 12th grades since 1975.

So keep up the good work. I'm sure any day now you'll catch that last
lonely pot smoker, and this whole silly thing will be behind us. Just how
many more arrests will it take?

If you are serious about protecting "the kids," then you should listen to
them. The responses they give leave no margin for doubt. It doesn't matter
which survey you look at. They use whatever forum will give them a voice to
say that criminal prohibition has failed to keep the drugs out of reach.

Tobacco and alcohol are the hardest drugs to get, according to these same
surveys. See, for some reason people keep demanding to see ID before they
sell our kids cigarettes. Too bad drug dealers only ask for cash.

Police officers should stick to enforcing policy rather than trying to
dictate it. Opinions given "as a police officer" are still just that, and
they should carry the same weight as any other citizen's opinion - less, in
fact, considering how financially dependent police are on the war on drugs.

Jay Hunter

Pittsburgh, Pa.