ASHEVILLE -- Stepping up the fight against hard-drug dealing would cost an additional $2.4 million, says Police Chief Bill Hogan. Hogan presented the price tag as part of an increased drug suppression plan requested by the top elected city body. In addition to putting more money into high-crime areas, the city would have to look at shifting attention from neighborhoods with less crime, he said. Many of the proposed changes would improve policing throughout the city, he said. But more police attention would definitely go to areas suffering higher incidences of drugs and violence. [continues 455 words]
An emotional Pete Young -- one of three people charged after a drug bust at a so-called medicinal marijuana centre in London -- yesterday called for support as he prepares for his court date on Friday. Sitting at a picnic table on the Victoria Park bandshell stage, the 36-year-old fought back tears as he spoke to about 30 people, vowing to continue the fight to help people who need marijuana for medical reasons. "I'm tired of seeing sick, dying people prosecuted for (something) that the government has stated has medicinal values," he said. [continues 219 words]
Southport Police Get $15,500 Southport | With only one police officer dedicated solely to investigating criminal drug activity, the Southport Police Department still logged in 67 drug-related arrests last year. With the likelihood of an increasing number of drug-related arrests as the city's population grows, Southport Police Chief J.V. "Jerry" Dove went to the federal well for money to fight drug activity in town and came up with a bucketful: two grants totaling more than $15,500, one aimed at crimes of the present and the other to head off future bad behavior. [continues 363 words]
ANDY CAISSE isn't impressed with the quality of the marijuana the federal government sells as part of a certified medical marijuana program. The 39-year-old Winnipegger who suffers from multiple sclerosis, said Sunday he uses marijuana as a pain reliever in place of morphine. But the marijuana grown in Flin Flon that he can buy through a federal program doesn't measure up to the standard he needs or that he could achieve if he grew the plant himself, Caisse added. [continues 452 words]
A Vancouver firefighter was arrested Thursday for operating a marijuana grow-op at his North Delta home. Delta police seized 380 plants, with a street value of $140,000, from the house. Const. Sharlene Brooks neither confirmed nor denied what the 44-year-old man did for a living, but reliable sources and nearby residents confirmed that the man arrested Thursday morning is a Vancouver firefighter. Brooks said police are unable to identify the individual because charges have not yet been laid. That is expected to happen sometime next week, at which time police will be able to release the suspect's name. [continues 600 words]
A decade ago, downtown security patrols were unheard of in the Okanagan. Police provided enough of a presence to give people a sense of safety and security, but times have changed. Okanagan communities were smaller then, but today, private security is a fact of life in a growing city. That growth incubates crime and a perception that the streets are not as safe as they once were. To deter crime and give people a greater sense of security, two Okanagan cities have turned to safety patrols that roam the streets, helping when needed and keeping an eye on known hot spots. [continues 1105 words]
FOR decades governments have set out to win the war on drugs with hard-hitting campaigns. But a high-powered commission has concluded that the strategy of prevention has achieved little. The impact of drug abuse on society, ranging from crime, disorder, family breakdown and the enormous cost to taxpayers, cannot be over-estimated. Innocent families have been ripped apart by murders committed by drug addicts who also suffer mental illnesses. This week the UK Drugs Policy Commission will warn that the popularity of illegal substances is soaring. [continues 104 words]
The Currituck Knights could soon have something in common with the big leaguers, but it isn't likely to be cause for celebration. Like their professional counterparts, Currituck County High School student-athletes could be subject to random drug tests under a policy Superintendent C. Michael Warren proposed to the Currituck County Board of Education on Monday. If approved, the policy would affect high school students with parking permits and students who participate in voluntary extracurricular activities, including student-athletes. Warren said the policy would be modeled after a similar measure used in Dare County. [continues 251 words]
It's commendable that students are working nationally to eliminate discriminatory amendments in the Higher Education Act, that punish students for drug law convictions (Students Fight Drug Penalty Act, April, 12, 2007), including violations relating to cannabis, which isn't even a drug, but rather a God-given plant. Why does Reefer Madness government persist on persecuting responsible adult citizens and students for cannabis use but allow alcohol which is considerably worse and more dangerous? Stan White Dillon, Colorado [end]
A bill currently under consideration in the state Legislature's Colleges and Universities Committee would prevent convicted drug dealers from receiving state financial aid. Assembly Bill 151, introduced by Rep. Eugene Hahn, R-Cambria, would mirror a federal law that places similar restrictions on federal financial aid eligibility. With limited state education funds, Mr. Hahn claims the bill is necessary to ensure law-abiding students are the ones receiving financial aid. Despite Mr. Hahn's feigned concern for fiscal responsibility, we have a hard time believing this would do anything substantive for the state's finances. In 2005-06, the state distributed $90 million in aid to students. In a study analyzing the effects of the more severe federal financial aid restrictions, Students for Sensible Drug Policy found that 1 in 400 applicants were denied aid. If similar numbers held true for this bill, Mr. Hahn's proposal would not even save the state half-a-million dollars - without even considering implementation costs. [continues 311 words]
