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SALT LAKE CITY — I get asked this question a lot and usually by people looking to argue or to prove a point. I have an answer and it may not be popular with people, but it's how I feel. We are not winning the war on drugs just like we are not winning the war on crime or obesity.
We will never win wars that rely on people to make tough decisions like not using drugs or having an extra slice of pie. People who use drugs are weak-willed and will do or take whatever they can to avoid life and the realities of it. Whether it's marijuana or heroin, the goal is the same, to make themselves feel better as they cannot.
Legalizing drugs does not solve a problem. Just because you stop arresting people for drugs does not mean they aren't committing other crimes. Every junkie I have dealt with has stolen, burglarized or robbed to get money to purchase drugs. Don't you just love those copper thieves?
I cannot stand the argument by kooks who think drug arrests are there to line the pockets of law enforcement and the “Prison Industrial Complex.” Have you asked a corrections officer how much they get paid? Last time I heard, it cost the state $35,000 to house an inmate. Doesn't seem like a cost-effective business model.
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As far as local agencies raking in the dough making drug arrests, that's a farce. When most departments don't even allocate 1 percent of their staffing for narcotics detectives, that tells you where the priorities are. It's public safety — putting patrol guys on the streets and investigators to solve the crimes they can.
You want a conspiracy theory, take a look at the “traffic enforcement industrial complex.” Most departments will always have ticket writers making revenue for the city, all the while riding figure eights in parades and looking awesome in those leather boots.
Habitual drug users will do anything to get high. I've seen them leave their brand new baby at home alone so they could party. They will steal from their parents till they're penniless and rob, steal and kill to get their fix. How do you fix that? Is that even an enemy worth fighting?
Wars are only won by making tough decisions with decisive victories and not worrying about public opinion. Since we won't be nuking Mexican and South American cartels anytime soon, I see no way to win the war as far as drug distribution.
Related:
Opinion: We aren't winning 40-year war on drugs
In 1971, President Richard Nixon first declared a national "war on drugs," asking for $84 million as he told Congress that drug abuse had "assumed the dimensions of a national emergency." President Ronald Reagan re-affirmed a national commitment in 1982, declaring "illicit drugs to be a threat to U.S. national security."I do have an idea for the users, however. I say go ahead and use as much as you want. Medical will not be responding to resuscitate you. You are getting sterilized. If you hurt someone to buy your drugs, whether physically or financially, you will be indebted to them for an amount of time equal to the loss. This debt will be paid in labor and will be assisted by shock collar. Don't try to take it off, your head will explode.
This idea may sound immature, but look at the people we are dealing with. I'm glad that you have a story of someone who is rehabilitated. Most people cannot afford rehab, and government-funded rehab is much too short. The fact is that recidivism in prison is astronomical and people that go to rehab relapse anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of the time as stated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. So I don't know if we can just sit back and hope for the best.
I am interested to see what trends occur in Colorado and Washington with their new drug laws. I have spoken to investigators in Colorado and they have seen an uptick in armed robberies of “pot shops.” Just because it's legal doesn't mean people still want it and can't afford it. Prescription drugs are legal but people still manage to abuse them. People still go into pharmacies and rob them at gunpoint to get them.
As a society, are we just supposed to ignore problems and keep our head in the sand? If other countries are doing it, shouldn't we? This is America, and we are different. We are an example to the world and should continue to be that. Stop trying to be the cool kid and start being the smart one.
This article is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. I do not represent any specific agency or government. Please send questions to askacop@ksl.com
