Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

For too many years the politicians, in both the United Kingdom and the United States of America, have argued for throwing more and more resources into 'The War Against Drugs'. All too frequently this has resulted in drug users, now labelled as 'criminal opponents', embarking on a 'war against policing'. Nothing could be more destructive than maintaining a policy that creates such a war and guarantees prevention of progress in increasing the tolerance of police whilst simultaneously reducing the threats to the health and freedom of the users.

The sole way forward is to recognise that this escalation does nobody any good and to examine alternatives. There cannot be a 'war'. All too often the individuals concerned have the same aims, the aim of reductions in the rate of overall crime and the search for a level of respect for the choices of the individual whilst safeguarding the rights of others.

In both the USA and the UK, serving and retired law enforcement officers, policemen taking their 'crime prevention' responsibilities seriously enough to warrant 'thinking what was previously considered unthinkable', have together formed a brotherhood to publicise the failings of the current policy of 'prohibition'. this is the origin of L.E.A.P

L.E.A.P seeks to look to a future of reduced conflict, of reduced mis-use of drugs and a greater protection to those others in society who deserve better than to be made the victims of a 'war' perpetrated by the politicians who choose to hide from today's reality.

These officers publically commit to an alternative policy to prohibition because they care about seeking a solution to one of the greatest threats to a peaceful society today - - the growing abuse of drugs coupled with the growing crime wave that is guaranted by prohibition. L.E.A.P represents the growing voice of the professionals, the actual practicioners, who despair of this reliance on prohibition. They are professional witnesses to its failings, and no politician can afford to ignore their evidence.

All right minded individuals recognise that the threats posed by drug abuse are not limited to any one country, the problem is international. The solution must, similarly, be international and no one country, however large or small, can afford to be so isolationist and arrogant as to pursue a policy, existing or new, that exposes its neighbours to continued increases in crime, higher deaths through lack of licensing and controls, enforced criminalisation of its traditional produce and the limitation on personal rights that reflects the errors of prohibition.

If you are actively or previously concerned with law enforcement in the UK or the US of A, be it in the role of police officer, within the judiciary, the court or prison service or one of the civilian supporting roles to these, do go and have a look at the aims of L.E.A.P and consider adding your voice to the pleas for change. The site provides an opportunity to register your support and approval without your personal details becoming available to anyone else outside of the organisation. It matters.