Pubdate: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM) Copyright: 1999 Albuquerque Journal Contact: P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103 Website: http://www.abqjournal.com/ Author: Chris Roberts, The Associated Press NEW BOSS: LEGALIZATION BAD IDEA People who sell or use illegal drugs can expect no quarter from the man Gov. Gary Johnson has chosen to fill in after Department of Public Safety Secretary Darren White resigned, saying he could not support the governor's call to legalize drugs. State Police Chief Frank Taylor, who received a call from the governor Wednesday morning to take over as interim head of the DPS, said legalizing drugs is a bad idea. "We still have the mission to do drug interdiction, and we're very active in that," Taylor said Wednesday in a phone interview. "We are enforcing everything and anything." Taylor said the governor called him to "make sure I understand where he's coming from. He wasn't seeking agreement from me." Diane Kinderwater, the governor's spokeswoman, said Wednesday it is premature to talk about a permanent replacement for White, who resigned Tuesday. Taylor said he feels no pressure to remain silent on his disagreement with the governor's position or to relax enforcement, even for marijuana, which the governor has characterized as a relatively benign drug. Johnson "is not asking acting Secretary Taylor to compromise his beliefs," Kinderwater said. "The governor's whole intent is to save (officers') lives, to get them off the front lines of this failing drug war." Taylor said the governor's stand has caused police to try to find more effective means of slowing the drug trade. "If you're losing the war on drugs, then maybe we have to regroup and find different ways," he said. "It's definitely gotten law enforcement to communicate with each other in a more positive way." Taylor said State Police don't have a "bunker mentality" and he expects the search for better approaches to result in more aggressive enforcement. He said he was surprised by White's resignation. "The man had a lot of respect for the people in the Department of Public Safety and their commitment" to their jobs, Taylor said. "It's his decision and we respect it." One group was happy to hear of White's resignation: the New Mexico Police Association. "From my standpoint, I'm glad he resigned," said Norman Rhoades, the association's president. "I think it was a good thing to do and I think it's a good thing for the department." In September, the association's 500 members were asked to participate in a mail-in survey, in which 243 members gave White a vote of no confidence while 31 voted in his favor. The Public Safety secretary oversees about 1,000 civilian employees and commissioned officers. Association officials said they no longer trusted White, who they said seemed more interested in politics than policing. White said he had done what he believed was best for the department including securing money for pay raises and new hires. Rhoades, a State Police criminal agent working out of Las Cruces, said he is enthusiastic about Taylor's appointment. "I hope they put him in permanently," Rhoades said. He said Taylor came up through the ranks and has decades of experience as a police officer. "You just can't trade anything for experience," Rhoades said. Rhoades said he agrees with White's opinion against legalizing drugs. "White did counter the governor's stance," Rhoades said. "I do respect that, he stuck his neck out on it." Rhoades said he isn't aware of any police officer who supports drug legalization. "If the governor digs up somebody and puts them in that position (of secretary) because they agree with him, then it's time for all of us to be very scared," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake