NCJ Number
170353
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 65 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1998) Pages: 23-30
Date Published
1998
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This report is intended to provide information and a plan for police chiefs to use in discussions about drug legalization; the report resulted from a January 1997 meeting and discussion sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Abstract
The group agreed that law enforcement should have an important role in the discussion of legalization issues, that police officials have great credibility in areas such as the impact of legalization on crime, and that police officials need to be familiar with the issues while sticking to what they know. An introduction explains the purpose and rationale for the document. The next sections use a question-and-answer format to explain what a police chief can learn from the Arizona and California propositions to legalize the medical use of marijuana, the impacts of the propositions on law enforcement, and the factors that tipped the balance in those States in favor of marijuana legalization. Additional sections focus on why police chiefs should be concerned about the legalization movement, what they should do to educate themselves, and how to approach the issue in their local communities. Descriptions of organizations that can provide additional help and list of resource organizations and publications