Pubdate: Thu, 29 Jun 2000
Source: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram (WI)
Copyright: Eau Claire Press 2000
Contact:  PO Box 570,  Eau Claire WI 54701
Website: http://www.leadertelegram.com/
Author: Gary Storck
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n882/a09.html

POT NON-PROBLEM

This is in response to the Monday, June 26, Associated Press article, 
"Wausau-area patrol tops state in drug arrests."

While the article cites the generic "drug arrests," the war against some 
substances is statistically a war against marijuana users. No doubt, the 
bulk of arrests and drug seizures were for small amounts of marijuana.

The article quotes an officer as saying, "The secret is going beyond the 
traffic stop," and talks about three men arrested for possessing 
paraphernalia and a couple bags of pot who were stopped "for not having a 
working trunk latch."

Is using minor traffic violations as an excuse to stop motorists in order 
to attempt to coerce them into giving up their Fourth Amendment rights and 
consenting to a search that turns up small personal-use quantities a good 
use of police resources?

Does this make our highways safer, or is it just an easy way to inflate 
arrest statistics in order to make the State Patrol look like they are 
doing their job?

When I'm on the highway, I am more concerned about the speeding 
semi-trailer bearing down on my tail, or the drunk weaving all over the 
road, or obtaining assistance if my car breaks down, than whether a fellow 
motorist has a little bit of pot in his pocket.

Targeting motorists traveling our state highways for possessing small 
amounts of marijuana is counterproductive. It does not make our highways 
safer. It only causes people to distrust officers, who should be following 
their mandate, "to serve and protect," instead of singling out pot users 
for arrest and prosecution.

Unfortunately, being able to count on law officers to "serve and protect" 
instead of "target, coerce and arrest" is another casualty of an ongoing 
drug war where the Constitution and the Bill of Rights have become superfluous.

Gary Storck, Madison
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D