Posted July 27th, 2010 by hiwayhowie
As a street cop who worked the trenches of the drug war spanning three decades, I heartily agree with the observations of Sutton Stokes ( “Is marijuana legalization finally on the march in the U.S.?” Communities, Tuesday ). The prohibition of marijuana and the subsequent arrest of 800,000 citizens, mostly for personal use, means less time for deadly DUI offenders. When detectives are flying around in helicopters trying to find green plants, they are missing the pedophiles who are in the Internet chat rooms making contact with our young teens. We have all seen NBC’s “To Catch a Predator.” Police labs are not opening 400,000 rape kits and putting the DNA in the computer because proving the green stuff is marijuana is more of a priority.
This is insane. We are doing a poor job of protecting our little boys and girls and women in order to make the safe, easy and lucrative bust of a peaceful pot smoker. Will we ever become as wise as our grandparents and repeal this prohibition?
Howard J Wooldridge
Posted July 27th, 2010 by hiwayhowie
As a retired police officer, I heartily agree with PG columnist Tony Norman (“Legalized Pot? Like Getting Bonged in the Head,” July 13) that marijuana should be treated like alcohol, i.e., legal, regulated and taxed.
My profession will arrest more deadly DUIs and more child molesters when we stop arresting 800,000 marijuana users and suppliers each year. The police can once again focus on our original mission: public safety.
HOWARD J. WOOLDRIDGE
Adamstown, Md.
The writer co-founded Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10206/1074918-110.stm#ixzz0usWYMKZc
Posted June 27th, 2010 by hiwayhowie
Pubdate: Thu, 24 Jun 2010
Author: Howard Wooldridge
Mr. Jim Bayne’s column Sunday ( “Mexico has a legitimate gripe when it comes to our drug habit” ) refused to mention the elephant in the room; namely, drug prohibition. As he exhorts us to only use legal drugs, he and the prohibition crowd force us to use alcohol, a much more dangerous drug than marijuana, to take the edge off the day at 6 p.m. He is flat wrong that marijuana is a gateway drug. Every government research in five countries has concluded it is not ( the last was our Institute of Medicine in 1999 ).
Mankind has been taking mind-altering, intoxicating, addictive drugs for thousands of years. Drug prohibition – a self-inflicted wound – continues to be the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery and Jim Crow. As a retired police officer, I am baffled why this country continues to cling to the notion that drug prohibition is worth keeping.
Howard Wooldridge
Adamstown, Md.
Posted June 26th, 2010 by hiwayhowie
Pubdate: Thu, 24 Jun 2010
Author: Howard Wooldridge
MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT WASTES POLICE RESOURCES
Speaking as a retired police detective with more than 18 years of experience in the trenches enforcing marijuana prohibition, I say Norm Jackson’s commentary ( “Legalizing marijuana makes no sense,” June 17 ) missed many key points on the issue of prohibition. I responded to about 1300 calls generated by the use of alcohol, including homicide, suicide, and rape. Marijuana, which does not provoke violence, produced zero calls in those 18 years. Anyone who switches from alcohol to marijuana will make for a safer world.
Public safety is dramatically reduced by every hour we chase a non-problem-causing cannabis smoker, which means we miss such deadly DUIs as the driver who killed Jackson’s sister. Chasing pot smokers and their suppliers is a horrific waste of our time. The police cannot stop bad choices; only family and friends can.
Howard Wooldridge, CitizensOpposingProhibition.org
Washington, D.C.
Posted June 21st, 2010 by hiwayhowie
Originally published June 21, 2010
When you lie down with dogs, often you will get up with fleas. Yet another in my profession (Megan Mattingly) has been tainted by the enforcement of drug prohibition. Add her to the many, many thousands who have been corrupted or killed, or who have committed suicide after being corrupted. And for what?
We in law enforcement know that every drug dealer arrested is replaced within days. The nine suspects released (or even if they had gone to prison) are meaningless.
A trillion tax dollars spent and 40 years of serious effort have resulted in a Maryland free of drugs? No. Quite the contrary. Drugs are cheaper, stronger and readily available to our teens.
Please tell this reader again why you support this Bridge to Nowhere policy.
HOWARD WOOLDRIDGE
retired detective/officer
Buckeystown
Posted June 19th, 2010 by hiwayhowie
Pubdate: Tue, 15 Jun 2010
Author: Howard Wooldridge
Perspectives on Drug Prohibition
As a retired police detective from the USA, I thank you for publishing Johann Hari’s analysis of drug prohibition ( 11 June ).
During my 18 years in the trenches of this destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy, I witnessed part of the one trillion dollars spent so far to make my country “drug-free”. As my colleagues spent their shifts in pursuit of a baggie of cannabis, drunk drivers were freer to slaughter tens of thousands of innocents. When detectives are flying around in helicopters looking for green plants, the paedophiles in the chat room have an easier time of making contact with our 13-year-olds.
Privately many police officers will admit that drug prohibition increases crime and reduces public safety. Scotland Yard’s Detective Chief Superintendent Eddie Ellison ( RIP ) was among the first UK “top cops” to speak plainly in public. It is past time for them to follow his courageous lead.
Howard Wooldridge
Washington DC
Posted May 30th, 2010 by hiwayhowie
Re “Fear into law” ( From the Edge, by Anthony Peyton Porter, May 13 ):
Mr. Porter’s column touched some issues, but not public safety–the primary mission of law enforcement. There is no doubt in my mind that when my California colleagues stop chasing the green plant, public safety will improve. From my perspective as a retired police detective, road patrol will arrest more DUI and reckless drivers, and detectives will arrest more pedophiles and rapists.
Cannabis is a drug and no play toy. My college roommate flunked out because of it and went to Vietnam. However, during my 18 years of police service I did not go to one call generated by its use. Legalizing and regulating marijuana is a no-brainer.
Howard Wooldridge
Citizens Opposing Prohibition
Washington, D.C.