Our View: Drug crime not just a job for law enforcement
Neglecting the public health aspects of drug abuse leaves an impossible job for police.
Law enforcement officials tell us that when it comes to fighting crime, law enforcement cannot do it all.
When it comes to drug-related crime, responding to calls for service and arresting the bad guys is not enough. An effective response requires addressing the public health aspects of drug abuse, devoting resources to prevention and treatment that would make the police officer's job more manageable.
The recent crime statistics report for Maine indicates that not enough of that is happening. While Maine remains an a relatively low-crime state, and last year saw declines in a number of crime categories, including murder, we are not becoming a safer place.
The state has seen a dramatic 19 percent increase in robberies in which violence or the threat of violence was used. Burglaries, which can lead to violence if the intruder is discovered, are on the increase too.
Police know what's behind those increases. It's drug use and an addict's need for money to support a habit. And police know how to go after it.
"We really have to take a wide view and position on this," said Roy McKinney, director of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. "It takes having viable prevention programs, viable law enforcement programs and viable treatment progress to address this issue."
McKinney is right, and those non-law-enforcement tools should be sharpened, even though to some it would look like being soft on crime or coddling criminals.
We have a good track record in this country of using a multifaceted approach to tackle complex social problems. Drinking and driving used to be a tolerated activity until a coordinated effort to get tough on drunk drivers, educate the public about the dangers involved and help alcoholics get sober had dramatic results.
Public health campaigns that have informed people about health risks of smoking and helped smokers quit are complemented by law enforcement efforts to crack down on stores that sell tobacco products to minors.
The police are right: If you wait until after the crime has been committed, your response will be too late. Treatment and prevention may be seen as "soft" approaches to fighting crime, but underemphasizing them makes law enforcement's job too hard.
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14 COMMENTS
BD said...
I have said so many years that if people don't approve funding for treatment, prevention, drug court, etc (which all depends on OSA as well as Mainecare) -- they will pay. They will pay by means of being violated in some way. Burglary, assault, car theft. Addicts are clever -- They WILL do just about anything to get their next fix....
June 4, 2010 at 6:41 AM Report abuse
mtc said...
Even if public health agencies are well funded they need competent people. I have seen plenty of social service agencies staffed by incompetent workers. Both staff and management. Lazy would be a simple term. We live in a sick society that breeds addiction. To treat addiction part of the responsibility is on the addict but part of the responsibility is on the people and agencies that help the addict as addiction wouldn't be addiction if the addict could stop on their own.
June 4, 2010 at 7:37 AM Report abuse
bGtqaXV5dGY5NDU3 said...
I challenge anyone to give a legitimate reason to keep drugs illegal that could not be used as an argument to make alcohol illegal. We know what happened when we made alcohol illegal: gang violence, death and injury from black market products, lost tax revenue, eroded civil liberties, otherwise law abiding citizens being put in jail, all with little effect on supply or demand. Meanwhile we have carnage on the Mexican border, overdoses from not knowing the potency of the drugs, no tax revenue, SWAT teams killing ordinary citizens, casual users being locked in prison, all with little effect on supply or demand. The Drug War is a failure and it is time for it to end.
June 4, 2010 at 7:43 AM Report abuse
bGtqaXV5dGY5NDU3 said...
As long as drugs are illegal those who need help will be reluctant to seek it for fear of being put in prison.
June 4, 2010 at 7:45 AM Report abuse
Steve0 said...
bGtqaXV5dGY5NDU3 said... I challenge anyone to give a legitimate reason to keep drugs illegal that could not be used as an argument to make alcohol illegal. ========================= Oh, but think about the children!!!
June 4, 2010 at 9:18 AM Report abuse
GOPsteve said...
The state should loosen drug employer drug testing laws. Let the private sector help by denying employment and unemployment benefits for employees fired for drug use. Make drug testing mandatory for receiving state aid. Don't like it? Don't apply for taxpayer financial support. It's still a free country. The problem is that we as a society tolerate an illegal drug culture. We give up. What can we do? What we should be doing is creating a culture that forces people to stay clean or face serious financial consequences for drug use. I think we might be surprised with the results.
June 4, 2010 at 11:09 AM Report abuse
GOPsteve said...
"bGtqaXV5dGY5NDU3 said... I challenge anyone to give a legitimate reason to keep drugs illegal that could not be used as an argument to make alcohol illegal." Maybe it would be better if alcohol use was illegal or at the least, not socially acceptable. Good luck putting that toothpaste back into the tube! Alcohol abuse is a pox upon our society. It destroys families, careers, and results in thousands of deaths and violent injuries. Unfortunately, alcohol is widely accepted in our culture despite the tragic outcomes. For years we have been fighting back and have made some progress. To me, the question isn't about alcohol, but rather, why would we consciously choose to legitimize drugs that will only make our current problem worse? Two wrongs still don't make it right.
June 4, 2010 at 11:18 AM Report abuse
jude said...
I think a combination of both ideas posted here would be good. Legalize all currently illicit drugs and encourage employers to to drug screens. It may be legal but you're not working here if you're smokin' crack.
June 4, 2010 at 11:29 AM Report abuse
Chew said...
What we should all know by now is throwing millions into the "war on drugs" has failed. Alcohol and tobacco are legal. Pot should be legalized. Adult age related laws should be strictly enforced. Punishments for DUI should be raised significantly. Programs for rehabilitation of drug users (alcohol included) are well documented in terms of effectiveness and show that people who want to straighten out have a much higher success rate than those who are forced into rehab. We need to help those who want and ask for help to the best of our ability. The rest need to hit their "bottom" and then we can help.
June 4, 2010 at 12:04 PM Report abuse
mtc said...
The question I want answered is that 90% of the worlds heroin comes from Afghanistan. We are currently fighting a war in that country. We have all these high tech subservience devices monitoring our enemies. Why isn't it being dealt with ?
June 4, 2010 at 1:01 PM Report abuse
dHJpczE%3D said...
How about we start with cleaning up the PPH's resident drug addict, MSH.
June 4, 2010 at 2:41 PM Report abuse
Bole said...
They will never get it through their fat heads that most drug users do not commit crime (except the actual possession and use) Most work and have families and use drugs recreationally and responsibly on their own time. These are the people that the police destroy, not the cartels and big pushers. The war against drugs is just a war against your neighbors. Change the fat head laws.
June 4, 2010 at 7:01 PM Report abuse
trisailer said...
All drugs should be leglized including the elimination of the requirement for prescriptions. People have to take personal responsibility for themselves. The smartest people are the ones who experimented with drugs when young a figured out that drugs only make you feel good for a very short time in the beginning and then they make you feel bad for a very long time. Science says that about 5% of human populations will be addicted to substances no matter what. Drugs need to be delt with a a public health problem and not criminal.
June 4, 2010 at 9:27 PM Report abuse
OldHeretic said...
@gopsteve Do you call yourself a conservative? What right does some corporation have to my bodily fluids? Besides the violation against Civil Liberties, YOUR idea would worsen the isolation people feel toward a society that feels exclusionary and hostel. YOUR idea would create more crime, more hopelessness, More powerlessness etc, just look at the border with Mexico, YOUR ' idea ' would bring THAT to our streets! The answer is to end prohibition, anyone can take a opiate, a xanax, ADHD med, when prescribed and are only told to ' be careful when operating machinery etc, a person who drinks a few beers, or smokes a few joints in the evening, is not a risk on the job, and it's none of the employers business! If a employee has a problem ( showing up to work smelling of alcohol ) for example, then the employer should have options like termination or offering unpaid time off for the employee to get treatment, just as they would for any other MEDICAL ISSUE. PERIOD.
June 6, 2010 at 9:05 AM Report abuse