cannabisnews.com: Tories Dub Cannabis Pilot 'Disaster' Tories Dub Cannabis Pilot 'Disaster' Posted by CN Staff on July 09, 2002 at 07:01:34 PT Those found with cannabis are now given warnings Source: BBC News A "softly softly" drugs experiment in the London borough of Lambeth has been a "disaster" for the local community, the Conservatives have claimed. This experiment has caused a significant increase in drug dealing of all kinds in Brixton -- Oliver Letwin, shadow home secretary. Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith will visit Brixton on Tuesday to promote his party's opposition to the pilot scheme. The Tories say the softer line on cannabis taken by police in the area has handed control of the streets to drug dealers and their gangs. On Wednesday Home Secretary David Blunkett is expected to announce the downgrading of penalties for possession and dealing of cannabis. 'Increase in dealing' Under the Lambeth experiment - introduced a year ago by former Lambeth police commander Brian Paddick - those found carrying small amounts of cannabis are given a warning by police, rather than prosecuted. Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin, who will be visiting Lambeth with Mr Duncan Smith, said: "We are going to Brixton to highlight the disaster that the Brixton cannabis experiment has become. "Community leaders, local police officers and local residents have all rightly pointed out that this experiment has caused a significant increase in drug dealing of all kinds in Brixton. "Worse yet, it is clear that this experiment has handed over control of the estates to drug dealers and their gangs." He added: "Ultimately, this issue is about whether the forces of law and order control an area or whether it is controlled by other forces." 'Drugs tourists' The Lambeth scheme was launched to give police more time to combat hard drugs. However, the Tories say there has been a significant increase overall in drug trafficking in Lambeth and drug dealers are in control, not the police. Kate Hoey, one of the local Labour MPs, has also condemned the experiment, saying it has made drug trafficking socially acceptable. Last week, Mr Paddick defended the scheme, saying there was no evidence to show his relaxed approach had attracted an influx of "drugs tourists" to Brixton. Figures from Scotland Yard last month showed street crime in Lambeth had fallen dramatically. Brian Paddick says the scheme is a success. Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner Ian Blair, last week said the pilot scheme was "undoubtedly" beneficial to the police. The policy of issuing police warnings might be extended to other parts of the country, if as seems likely, Mr Blunkett announces on Wednesday that the penalties for cannabis are to be downgraded. He told MPs last October there was a case for reclassification: for reducing the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis from five years to two years and for trafficking from 14 years to five years. Source: BBC News (UK Web)Published: Tuesday, July 9, 2002Copyright: 2002 BBC Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/ Contact: http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point/Related Articles & Web Site:Drugs Uncovered: Observer Special http://freedomtoexhale.com/dc.htmCannabis Ban Faces Investigationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13332.shtmlSentences To Be Doubled for Dealing in Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13323.shtmlDrugs Leak Sows Policy Confusion http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13319.shtmlPolice Chief Scorns Cannabis Pilot Critics http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13281.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by WolfgangWylde on July 09, 2002 at 08:28:12 PT One Thing Is For Sure... ...Marijuana Prohibition will not fall until the Politicians who support it are voted out of office. Once the pigs realize they will lose their jobs, their "ideology" will change right quick. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by cltrldmg on July 09, 2002 at 08:17:15 PT Great Layout "However, the Tories say there has been a significant increase overall in drug trafficking in Lambeth and drug dealers are in control, not the police. Kate Hoey, one of the local Labour MPs, has also condemned the experiment, saying it has made drug trafficking socially acceptable. Last week, Mr Paddick defended the scheme, saying there was no evidence to show his relaxed approach had attracted an influx of "drugs tourists" to Brixton. Figures from Scotland Yard last month showed street crime in Lambeth had fallen dramatically. Brian Paddick says the scheme is a success.Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner Ian Blair, last week said the pilot scheme was "undoubtedly" beneficial to the police. "First they mention a political party/politician's claims, then in the next three paragraphs cite the evidence of the man who was running the scheme for over a year, and the official statement of the police department. Compare the first two paragraphs with the last four, and you get a pretty good idea how relevant what the Tory party says really is. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment