Scottish cops say 'legalise the lot'
Author: Jonty Skrufff
Friday, April 21, 2006
Glasgow’s Police Federation admitted that the war on drugs has been lost this week, and called for changes in the law to save millions and to reduce drug deaths.
"We should legalise all drugs currently covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act; everything from class A to C, including heroin, cocaine and speed. We are not winning the war against drugs and we need to think about different ways to tackle it. Tell me a village where they are drug-free," Strathclyde Federation Chief Inspector Jim Duffy told the Daily Mail Scotland.
"Despite the amount of resources and the fantastic work our girls and guys do, we are not making a difference. We don't have any control at the moment,” the top cop admitted.
The Inspector’s comments matched those of Welsh police boss Richard Brunstrom, Chief Constable with North Wales Constabulary who repeated earlier calls for full legalisation last year.
“Most addicts commit crime merely to get money for drugs - if they had access to legal drugs there is no doubt at all that crime would fall,” the Chief Constable told the Western Mail.
“The case is already proved, and I know that there is overwhelming public support for a new approach. I just wish that more politicians had the courage to talk openly to the public about drugs. They might get quite a surprise,” he suggested.
Two years earlier he was equally explicit, telling Channel 4 ‘if you're not mugging old ladies and not stealing from shops and not stealing cars, what actually is the problem-”
“Why shouldn't you be taking drugs- And that's the question we need to be asking ourselves. Why are these things illegal- What was the purpose behind it- Are these things actually that bad- Are they that evil-” he asked.
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