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Title: To Bust People for Buying Crack, Cops Are Now Manufacturing and Selling People Crack
Source:
Free Thought Project
URL Source: http://thefreethoughtproject.com/bu ... ple-crack/#Bwgz6DI8Kg45z8tC.99
Published: May 15, 2016
Author: Claire Bernish
Post Date: 2016-05-16 18:51:33 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 3864
Comments: 18
A reverse buy bust appears to be in the works for the Albuquerque Police Department, but the details of how they plan to go about catching low-level drug users — by becoming crack cocaine manufacturers — signifies everything inherently corrupt about the U.S.’ war on drugs. Burque Media exclusively revealed APD’s intentions to become temporary crack manufacturers, after a confidential source shared the affidavit about the impending bust. “Powdered cocaine may be taken into APD’s Criminalistics Unit to be made into crack cocaine,” reads the Affidavit and Motion to Release Evidence, dated February 25, 2016, and signed by a District Court Judge. In addition to the police-manufactured crack, APD is also permitted to use methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin from its cataloged evidence stores to become drug dealers in order to catch individuals who use those illegal substances. “Once the transaction is completed,” the document continues, “the individual purchasing the drugs will be arrested and charged with Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance. The detectives will attempt to immediately retrieve the drugs sold.” While high-level, volume-transporting, and sometimes violent drug dealers — created by the illegality of such substances in the State’s failed drug war — won’t be the target of this bust, small-time users will be entrapped by police con-artists and have their lives upended with serious charges. Police, in such a dual operation, become perpetrators of the very problem they claim to be combating — to catch individuals whose only harm is to their own person. According to Burque Media’s source, police initiated the reverse sting operation, which will run through the end of 2016, pursuant to complaints from area businesses and residents. “The business[es], residents, and patrons have complained about drug dealing throughout the City of Albuquerque,” claims the affidavit. “Citizens have contacted Detectives complaining about being asked, by people walking/driving through the City of Albuquerque, if they wanted to purchase drugs.” As the anonymous source noted, APD’s bust likely targets the city’s most precariously situated and vulnerable residents: homeless drug addicts. “Law enforcement has tried many methods and has been unable to effectively stop the supply of drugs to the street dealers and users in these areas,” the document states. “These methods include but are not limited too [sic] successfully purchasing drugs from drug dealers in the area […“ It is believed that taking enforcement action against the purchasers of drugs in these areas, if well known, would reduce the demand for drugs in the City of Albuquerque.” Obviously, Albuquerque isn’t looking to Portugal, where all drugs have been decriminalized to enormous success — including across-the-board drops in both usage and addiction rates — for a model to combat, ironically, issues stemming from America’s drug war. When an open and legal market exists for those who choose to use, and includes ease of obtaining help from treatment centers when necessary, residents and businesses wouldn’t be pestered by addicts on the street. In fact, APD’s plans are troubling, even for insiders. “This is a practice I have frowned upon because of the use of seized drugs already tagged into evidence, and I have not seen it for some time,” explained Pete Dinelli, former Chief Deputy District Attorney and former Chief Public Safety Officer, who doubted the veracity of the APD’s plans until the affidavit was filed in court. “It’s downright dangerous to be using drugs seized in other drug busts because of chain-of-custody issues and the risk associated with not being able to track what happens. The city could also be exposed to liability for using tainted drugs that they lose track of.” Dinelli’s concerns may be justified. As if supplementing the use of logged drug evidence with police-made crack weren’t bad enough, the affidavit points to awareness the APD likely will lose some of its product over the course of the sting. “Any drugs not used in this operation will be returned to the Albuquerque Police Department’s Evidence Unit,” the document concludes. As Dinelli summarized of the whole operation, “This is a very poor law enforcement practice.” When even the cops are manufacturing crack, you know the war on drugs is nothing short of a farce.
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#1. To: ConservingFreedom, misterwhite, Roscoe, GrandIsland, Gatlin, A K A Stone (#0)
Ping.
This yellow journalism article makes it sound that APD is going to overly saturate and already area critically saturated Albuquerque with crack cocaine. Nothing is further from the truth. God, I hate yellow journalism. A drastic problem requires a drastic method to correct. These unorthodox reverse buy-bust method is taken because crack cocaine poses the most significant drug threat in Albuquerque. Crack cocaine continues to saturate Albuquerque. It is important to note that the operation calls for the release of no more than EIGHT (8) OUNCES of crack from the Albuquerque Police Department’s Evidence Unit to detectives of the Albuquerque Police Department’s Narcotics Unit for use in a “Reversal Operation.” ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – The welcome mat is not so welcome at one gateway hub in Albuquerque. Fred Williams has seen it all from his home at the Silver Gardens Apartments across the street. “They mess everything up, they don’t clean up after themselves,” he said. Since February, KRQE News 13 has been recording undercover video and saw the problems first hand. One man counts a wad of cash and makes a hand-off to another. Often the group that hangs out on the stucco benches out front passes around something to smoke that is probably not tobacco. Multiple times KRQE News 13 witnessed suspected drug use and drug deals. Vehicles were seen pulling up to the group and suspected deals were made. “I think it’s a bad image on New Mexico to be honest,” said Blake McPherson, who saw the problem after stepping out of the ATC. The welcome mat for visitors included booze bottles, trash and syringe caps. Residents say the city needs to do more to quell the problem. “Definitely, definitely,” Williams said. At times, this activity was happening just steps from security guards. They slowly saunter down the street toward the large group which disperses, but within 30 minutes they come back. “They’re not worried because they can see if the cops are coming or not. And when the cops do decide to come, they come from one direction, not all directions,” Williams said. KRQE News 13 showed the undercover video to Albuquerque Police Lt. Arturo Sanchez, who oversees this area working in APD’s Valley Area Command. “Some of that activity is somewhat consistent with narcotics,” he said. Sanchez says officers have written citations in the past and admits it wasn’t very effective. “Those things we tried didn’t work,” he said. Now the understaffed police department is trying a new approach. Sanchez says officers are now working more closely with the neighbors in the area. Police want the neighbors to help be their eyes and ears as officers promise to step up enforcement. For a couple of days last week, police set up mobile surveillance cameras. This summer, police hope to be positioned in an office at the bus station, watching a live feed from security cameras. “It is going to allow the officers when they do have those monitors to have a better view without being seen,” Sanchez said. Just a few hours after KRQE New 13 interviewed Sanchez, a department spokesman said APD conducted a tact plan at the ATC. Detectives arrested two people accused of having crack cocaine. As for the negative image for the city, Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry says it’s common to see more problems pop up when residents move into downtown areas. They’re more likely to spot the problems and speak up. “When it’s two against one, the community and public safety against crime, that’s when we make big changes and that’s what we’re starting to see downtown,” Berry said. KRQE News 13 asked Berry whether the downtown crime speaks to the bigger issue of homeless, mental health and addiction. “We’re actually leading the nation, and we have other cities across America coming to us to ask us how we’re working with the homeless in our community,” he said. KRQE News 13 asked Berry’s staff to provide evidence of the mayor’s claim that Albuquerque is a national leader in supporting people living with addiction, mental health issues and homelessness. The city provided its own news releases announcing programs for people struggling with those issues. Police say they’ll concentrate on this area but admit they can’t watch the area 24/7 and won’t catch everything. “It’s not something that’s going to fix it tomorrow or a week from now. It is a long term plan,” Sanchez said. A drastic problem requires a drastic method to correct. Not to worry folks, the Canary Clan in on top of this … ONLY 8 ounces of crack is involved … Stand down and rest easy.
So...cops manufacturing crack and selling it is okey-dokey in your book? A better solution would be to end the war on drugs. So, has this policy, which goes in the face of everything we’re familiar with in the US, succeeded? Unquestionably, the answer is YES. These statistics are indicative of two very significant outcomes of decriminalization. First, punitive laws do little if anything, to discourage drug use or possession. And second, drug use generally follows broader societal trends and is not affected one way or the other, by the degree of punishment in place for partaking. One would think that you drug warriors would learn a lesson or two from those results.
#7. To: Deckard (#3)
So...cops manufacturing crack and selling it is okey-dokey in your book? A better solution would be to end the war on drugs. Nope. a better solution is to build a fence and make Mexico pay for it. Now, where have I heard that before ... hmmm. All the cocaine in Albuquerque is being brought in by the Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations. Your eradicate the source of the problem ... you no longer have a problem. You say "end the war on drugs" and let cocaine and heroin flow freely in the streets of out cities ... I say "you are an idiot."
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestWhen even the cops are manufacturing crack, you know the war on drugs is nothing short of a farce.
#2. To: Deckard, ConservingFreedom, misterwhite, Roscoe, GrandIsland, A K A Stone (#1)
(Edited)
Burque Media exclusively revealed APD’s intentions to become temporary crack manufacturers.
The Alvarado Transportation Center, just south of First and Central, bustles with people riding the Greyhound bus, the Rail Runner and Amtrak trains. For years when tourists stepped onto the streets, they saw more than the cityscape, the peaks of the Sandia Mountains or the true blue New Mexico sky. They also saw the suspected drug dealing, drug using and loitering right out front of the ATC.
The Canary Clan is charged with the responsibility to search impartially for the facts or actualities of a subject or situation. It is eminently qualified to perform this charge by devoting considerable time, deep reflection, careful deliberation, and serious consultation to approach decisions without any particular ideology or agenda. The Canary Clan has a commitment to respect precedent, fairness and a determination to faithfully present the facts.
Long live freedom of speech, long live the Canary Clan and God Bless America!
#3. To: Gatlin (#2)
A drastic problem requires a drastic method to correct.
Replies to Comment # 3. A drastic problem requires a drastic method to correct.
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