Pubdate: Thu, 17 Apr 2003
Source: Capital Times, The  (WI)
Copyright: 2003 The Capital Times
Contact:  http://www.captimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73
Authors: Stephanie Rearick, Carissa Cornwell, Gary Storck, Ben Masel, Dr.
Jeff Schiffman, Jon Hain, Bruce Rideout, David Chastain, Lucy Gibson, James
Reinke, Barbara Vedder, Madison

'PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING' IS MORE HUMANE AND JUST

Dear Editor: As members of the Progressive Dane Drug Policy Task Force, we 
are very pleased to see that the Madison Police Department is considering 
transforming parts of its narcotics team into decentralized 
"problem-oriented policing teams," as reported in your newspaper.

We feel that this plan has the potential to be a very positive step toward 
increasing Madison's focus on community-based, proactive policing that 
improves the welfare and safety of individual neighborhoods while 
diminishing curtailment of civil liberties. We look forward to seeing the 
plans that the Police Department is drawing up and are happy that there is 
an interest in shifting some focus away from drug prosecution as an end 
goal. We also look forward to working with the Police Department in helping 
to develop ideas for a more sensible and humane approach to drug policy.

Since its inception in early 2001, the Progressive Dane Drug Policy Task 
Force has advocated for policing solutions that emphasize harm reduction in 
regard to drug policy -- solutions that focus on the public health issues 
and social ills that result from and contribute to the illicit drug trade.

We now have a mayor and many City Council members (of all political 
stripes) who are in agreement with these goals and are willing to work to 
make them a reality. There's a huge amount of potential for Madison to take 
the leap forward in becoming a model of sensible, humane and effective drug 
policy implementation and we are genuinely excited to be a part of it.

Stephanie Rearick, Carissa Cornwell, Gary Storck, Ben Masel, Dr. Jeff 
Schiffman, Jon Hain, Bruce Rideout, David Chastain, Lucy Gibson, James 
Reinke, Barbara Vedder, Madison
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