In February 2015, the Hagerstown Police Department in Hagerstown, Maryland, received its first Drug Recognition Expert (DRE), adding to the ranks of over 7,000 DREs already credentialed. There are certified drug recognition experts in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, with more being trained annually. While the number sitting alone may seem large, the figure barely registers in comparison to the 765,000 sworn law enforcement officers reported to work for approximately 18,000 state and local police agencies in 2008 (statistics for 2012 have yet to be released—another census will not be performed until 2016). Yet, these specialized officers, having undergone intensive training, serve an important role within their departments by assisting to identify and arrest drug-impaired drivers.
Showing posts with label anti-drug. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anti-drug. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2015
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Snitches: The Government's Overreliance on Informants in the War on Drugs
In recent decades the United States has entered into multiple unconventional wars where it seems that victory will not be obtained until the enemy is eradicated. One such war is the war on drugs. It is unclear what a “win” in the war on drugs would look like, and the ambiguity leads to an ongoing fight, but the fight has become a dog eat dog battle of survival of the fittest.
The war on drugs began in the 1980’s as a response to the public opinion that Democrats were soft on crime. To avoid this public perception before the 1986 election, Democrats came out strongly against drugs. They introduced the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 and the Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988. Because both parties were anxious to appear strong on this issue, the legislation was passed quickly and without much scrutiny.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)