cannabisnews.com: Threat of Police Revolt Over Cannabis Policy Threat of Police Revolt Over Cannabis Policy Posted by FoM on February 08, 2002 at 21:01:43 PT By Jimmy Burns, Social Affairs Correspondent Source: Financial Times The government faces the possibility of a revolt from within the police force over plans to relax its policy on cannabis. A plan to extend an innovative pilot scheme in Lambeth, south London, to throughout the capital - and eventually the country - has been put on hold after rank-and-file officers in the area expressed their dissatisfaction with it. Sir John Stevens, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has also taken into account internal criticism of the scheme from police commanders outside Lambeth. Under the scheme, introduced last June by Brian Paddick, the reformist Lambeth police commander, those caught in possession have not faced prosecution. Although the pilot scheme was modified so that those issued with a warning or a caution more than four times could be arrested, it was still more liberal than anywhere else in the country, and was more in line with some countries in mainland Europe. David Blunkett, home secretary, referred to it last September when he announced plans to reclassify cannabis from a class B to a class C drug - the same classification as anti-depressants. The government is waiting for both the results of an attitude survey of the local population conducted by the Police Foundation, a think-tank, as well as for scientific advice from Home Office advisers. The Police Foundation is thought to support declassification. But the government is having to weigh up the advice of some reformers against the counter-offensive of reactionary sectors of the police confronting Mr Blunkett over his pay offer. According to police sources, out of 800 officers in Lambeth asked to comment on the scheme in a survey commissioned by the Metropolitan Police, only about 50 are thought to have replied - and most of these were critical of the scheme. The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file police officers, meanwhile has told a House of Commons select committee that the scheme has led to drug users and dealers openly defying officers on duty. The closest the survey comes to justifying the scheme is thought to be in a finding that police hours saved by the scrapping of most cannabis-related arrests in Lambeth were equivalent to the annual salary of two officers a year. Mr Paddick remains a strong advocate of declassification as part of a broad overall reform of drugs policy and believes that his scheme has made better use of police resources and is bringing the police force into line with public attitudes. Source: Financial Times (UK)Author: Jimmy Burns, Social Affairs CorrespondentPublished: February 8, 2002Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 2002Website: http://www.ft.com/Contact: letters.editor ft.comRelated Articles: 'Cannabis Leniency is Attracting Hard Drugs' http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11819.shtmlBritish Cops Issue Marijuana Reporthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11818.shtmlPolice Extend Pilot Scheme on Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11649.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #12 posted by DdC on February 09, 2002 at 14:50:21 PT Just do Nothing Doughnut Muncher's The Joseph McNamara Collection http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcntoc.htmJoseph McNamara is a former police chief in Kansas City, Mo. and San Jose, Ca.. He holds a doctorate in public administration and is presently a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.Stop the War - A Former Police Chiefs Plea to the New Drug Czar http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn1.htmAmerica's Plague of Bad Cops http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn8.htmAnguish in Blue Needn't Become Deadly http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn2.htmBombs and the Bill of Rights http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn10.htmCops on the Dole http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn7.htmCop's View of the Drug War http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn9.htmEnd the War by Anthony Lewis http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn3.htmHas the Drug War Created an Officer Liar's Club? http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn6.htmReinventing the LAPD http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn12.htmThe National Guard is Not a Police Force http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn4.htmCode of Silence Must Come to an End http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn11.htmHolding the Line Between Pursuit and Punishment http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn5a.htmDrug Peace http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn18.htmlShootings by Police - Broken Trust http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/shootings_by_police.htmNY Times Letter to the Editor - April 18, 1999 http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/mcn/mcn19.htmcops against the drug war http://www.drcnet.org/cops/question.htmlpolice chiefs question merit of drug policy http://www.drcnet.org/guide1-96/police.htmlBonus Payment To Informant Draws Criticism http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread9855.shtmlBill MastersTime for a New Strategy http://www.libertybill.netVCL- Lawyers and Judges against the drug war http://vcl.org/Families Against Mandatory Minimums Foundation (FAMM Foundation) http://www.famm.org Drug Sense http://www.drugsense.org M.A.M.A. http://www.mamas.org F.E.A.R. http://www.fear.org Cannabis News http://www.cannabisnews.com MAP Inc.Org. http://www.mapinc.org November http://www.november.org N.O.R.M.L. http://norml.org Human Rights and the WoD http://www.hr95.org MAKING THE WALLS TRANSPARENT http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/starkeJust do Nothing DM's http://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/36/36079.gif http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionstuff.showMessage?topicID=117.topic [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 09, 2002 at 08:27:37 PT More Work??? Cops always resist more work then they have to do. I'd imagine they're thinking they'll have to deal with more side effects as a result of relaxing the laws. They're our public servants, I say, let them serve and be quiet about it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Jose Melendez on February 09, 2002 at 05:24:01 PT: Arrest Prohibition out of 800 officers in Lambeth asked to comment on the scheme in a survey commissioned by the Metropolitan Police, only about 50 are thought to have replied - and most of these were critical of the scheme. 50 out of 800 = 6.25 percent. 3 hours at $20/hour times 50 busted minor offenders = $3000 in the pockets of this minority group of cops. Now add the cost of incarcerating and trying these "offenders", plus there is the cost to society as these resources are not targeted against violent crime. I am glad to read in the Guardian article that: Fred Broughton, federation chairman, told a Home Office select committee that there was anecdotal evidence from officers to suggest that the scheme had not saved any time, yet the independent consultants who compiled the report on behalf of the Met will say next week that this is not supported by their findings. All officers in Lambeth were asked to fill out a questionnaire about the scheme, but only 6% of the local force bothered to do so. Senior Met officers believe this shows that officers in Lambeth have few genuine concerns about the impact of the scheme. and:According to the study, a total of 1,350 hours of police officers' time were saved in six months. It estimates that three hours was saved every time a warning was issued instead of an arrest. The report says that an additional 1,168 hours of police support staff time was saved by not having to process cannabis prosecutions through the borough's criminal justice unit. Arrest Prohibition - Drug War is TREASON [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by The GCW on February 09, 2002 at 04:38:00 PT E. J. Cannabis Enquirer, a good idea. An extension to High Times and Cannabis Culture, would attack, attack and attack. Put the magnifying glass into their closet and expose the filthy lucre AND the Truely immoral. Not only embarrase them, but show the public that not only is the cannabis law worse than its use, but that the prohibitionist is worse for all society than the acceptee of cannabinoids. How do you afford your rock n roll lifestyle?It would put things into a more real Biblical perspective.Who is the real fundamentalist, which is actually someone who would not hurt you, since that person really follows Christ example, which is not to prohibit but allow everyone choices. The phony fundamentalist is among other things a sinning prohibitionist in the guise of fundamentalist, giving the real McCoy a bad rap, but worst, displeasing our Father, and dis-allowing the Holy Spirit of Truth (as described in John14-16), to guide them.Society forces cops to accept an oath for employment, that excludes them from the Holy Spirit of Truth, which is very bad for society. Forced to accept mans laws over Christ Gods laws, which can not work to the extent God, wished. Show me a cop, and I'll show you someone seperated from any chance of knowing TRUTH, as designed by society. Probably with out intention or knowledge.Simple math: Human, minus, Holy Spirit of Truth = omeba. Omeba, like out of control rabbits, becomes schmegma. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by E_Johnson on February 08, 2002 at 23:31:38 PT Invade their pubs and parties with cameras!! I think that police have plenty of addictive behavior they'd like to keep in their own closets.I am really getting tired of food, sex, alcohol and nicotine addicts deciding that they can throw everyone that THEY find morally deficient into a cage.What kind of parties does the Police Federation throw?Let's start our own tabloid -- the Cannabis Enquirer.Shocking coverage of the depravities committed under the influence of legally addictive substances by the protectors of public morality. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Minstrel on February 08, 2002 at 22:15:59 PT the prestigious FT Just read the Guardian report. Interesting how two papers present the same facts and have completely different interpretations... [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Minstrel on February 08, 2002 at 22:11:17 PT ... Don't really know what they can do, nothing extreme, but seeing as they can't go on strike, probably just criticise the government. Also seems like cannabis might just be an excuse to 'revolt', there's been talk of police discontent over wages, working hours and a proposal to create an 'auxilary force' for a couple of months. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on February 08, 2002 at 22:09:32 PT Just Posted This A little more details pops up in this article. Met Plan To Extend Softly, Softly Drug Scheme http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread11957.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by p4me on February 08, 2002 at 22:06:27 PT What is the problem? Did rape and murder and theft go up or something? Too much could not have gone wrong or the policy would not have been extended. It saved the taxpayers a lot of money and freed resources to fight real crime. Does anyone remember when the policy started and they talked about how the police officers would wait until the end of their shift to bust a potsmoker so the policeman could rack up four hours of overtime. One thing I have learned in life is that everyone could use a little more money. The government faces the possibility of a revolt from within the police force over plans to relax its policy on cannabis.I sure am interested in this revolt though. This revolt must be important if it is the leading sentence. What are some of the details of this revolt? Are they going to loot or take over the police department or what? Are they going to form their own government so they can continue to arrest pot smokers? This borders on nonsense that only the prohibitionist could pretend to understand. It is still jiberish but them prohibitionist can support the stupidist things.VAAI [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by goneposthole on February 08, 2002 at 21:48:42 PT I wonder It could be, and then again it could be that the police would lose a source of free pot and unreported illgotten gains.Something's up that's for sure. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Minstrel on February 08, 2002 at 21:44:12 PT funny "Sir John Stevens, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has also taken into account internal criticism of the scheme from police commanders outside Lambeth."Because of course a farmer in Central Wales knows more about Lambeth than Brian Paddick... [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on February 08, 2002 at 21:10:08 PT Union talk? This puts a lot of people out of work when no longer do we cage a human for using cannabis. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment