TO REDUCE CRIME, MAKE DRUGS LEGAL

Regarding the Dec. 10 editorial ("Integrity: Police department needs
direction," Dec. 10):

During alcohol Prohibition Al Capone bragged that "Half the cops in Chicago
are on my payroll," and over 15 percent of all Prohibition agents were
fired or forced to resign every year because of official wrongdoing.

During the last five years, police lawlessness throughout the United States
has increased over 500 percent almost entirely because of drug dealing.

The officers themselves admit they believe as much as 25 percent of the
Jackson Police Department is on the take because of drug prohibition, so
there can be no doubt about the counterproductive nature of drug prohibition.

It's worth remembering that Eliot Ness and the revenuers never put the
bootleggers out of business. Repeal and a regulated market for adult
alcohol use did that. Regulation works for alcohol and regulation will work
for drugs.

Prohibition, on the other hand, has never worked for anything, anywhere,
anytime.

Redford Givens

San Francisco