SF Mayor: End The War On Drugs And Crime Will Drop By 70 Percent

CBS 5 San Francisco:

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed the nation's war on drugs a total failure and insisted the crime rate would go down if the government spent money on treatment as opposed to jailing people with drug problems.

"If you want to get serious, if you want to reduce crime by 70% in this country overnight, end this war on drugs," he told reporters at City Hall on Thursday. "You want to get serious, seriously serious about crime and violence end this war on drugs."

Read the whole story: CBS 5 San Francisco

Comments

[Roafer]

Prohibition of any kind has NEVER worked in the history of humanity and NEVER will.

[PTodd]

The illicit drug trade is a big source of revenue for terrorist groups and other criminals, both inside and outside the US.

This country has 2 million people in prison. The highest incarceration rate in the world by far. The cost to take care of these people is high. They get, unlike our kids, free health care. Also, when they get out of prison, they have trouble getting a job, and so they make their living doing more crime, using tricks they learned while in prison.

Most violence associated with drugs is gang related, between drug dealers, over turf and money disputes, and quality. These go away by legalizing it. Imagine the tax revenues for government and the profits for big pharma if they took over the trade.

Afghanistan supplies 90% of the worlds heroin under our occupation, so we are well positioned to monopolize the market. Right now Taliban and Islamic jihadists are making the profits and using them to rebuild.

So why not?. Let people purchase whatever they want at a reasonable cost with guaranteed quality if they are over 21. They may only use them at home, no public use. The only criminality would be if they drove under the influence of drugs or if they were caught giving them to minors, and public consumption of the drugs (eg smoking, injecting, snorting, etc), and this happens today anyways. Make the penalties severe enough and it won't happen as much. As it is, those who sell the drugs today don't ask for ID's to check how old the purchaser is, and that is the main concern.

The Right loves the drug laws as is, keeps down the black vote which tend to go to Democrats. Some speculate that the drugs were first brought in by the CIA in the early years as a way to suppress the black vote and lock them up, I doubt this is true, but there is a positive correlation between drug laws, incarceration rate, and eligible black voters that Republicans do not want to change.

[Ginzaman]

As a recovering alcoholic, I totally agree with him. We need to stop our hypocritical attitude. First, face up to what is a drug. Caffeine and nicotine kill more people than marijuana. Then legalize everything and tax it as high as possible. After that take the profit and put into education and rehab that finally works for a change.

Also this. AA is a great group that does wonderful work. What would make it better? Many meetings have smoking, coffee and snacks loaded with sugar. So what you're doing there is replacing one killer addiction with two other ones. Wouldn't you help more people if instead of these things you had healthier choices? Another part of the problem is traditional AA people who say how dare you criticize what we've been doing since the very beginning! Get with the 21st century, folks.

[1will]

Caffeine kills? Caffeine is the fuel that powers this country. Take it away and well become another France.

[Talcott]

This a no brainer...­..

And a tune...

Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
you don't even flinch
all our taxes paying for your wars
against the new non-rich - The Prson Song/System of a Down

[ResidentChimp]

Typical Democrat. Why doesn't the Mayor make it work in San Fransico? Decriminalize drugs and provide treatment. Then we can see if he is right or not. It's easy to point fingers and blame others. The mayor needs to be proactive.

[DustinSD]

Mayors have little to no control over the enforcement of drug laws.

[ResidentChimp]

San Francisco has a long history of circumventing Federal Laws. This would be no different.

[Roafer]

How can he be proactive when the Fed goons, the DEA, continuously raid the medical pot clubs/outlets in SF and every other city in this nation. If the Feds would take their heads out of the sand it would make it possible for Newsom and many other mayors to take action to end this failed policy. How about the two different sentencing guidelines for coke as opposed to crack, both are the same substance??
You're the typical wingnut with your head in the sand!

[ResidentChimp]

Your a typical Democrat who wants to blame the Administration for all the problems. San Francisco routinely ignores Federal Laws when it suits them. This instance is no different. If fact this could be the opening salvo justifying a future action by the City.

[Ping]

There have been 89 murders in San Francisco so far in 2007, up from 85 murders during all of 2006.

365 days-87 days left = 278 days so far

89/278=0.3­2
87/365=0.2­38
0.32/0.238­=1.34

34% increase in the murder rate
Wow, no wonder he's freaking out. A drug gang must have moved into SanFran.

[Ping]

oops the numbers are wrong

1.37473550­5713076597­5454930173­508

Even worse 37% increase in the murder rate so far. Gavin is obviously trying to change the message.

[grainger5]

I've noticed a fallacy when it comes to the legalization of drugs. It is that crime will be reduced if drugs sales are legalized. It will not. The reason for drugs crime will change. If the drug traders are taxed, they will try to evade taxes. Even if all of them pay their taxes, people will need a fix, and if they don't have the money, they'll resort to crime.

The solution is not to legalize drugs; it is to find out the reasons why drugs are so appealing to human beings. If it is attacked from that angle, a solution can be found that would eliminate the NEED for drugs in the first place.

But, since the people in power are not interested in real solutions, only bandaids, the problem of drugs will persist for a long, long time.

[whomung]

The desire to alter and expand our consciousness is innate within human beings... that's why little kids twirl until they are so dizzy they fall down... it's fun

For some, drugs really are a need....Ru­sh needed Oxy for his back, right?... Lot's of different kinds of pain in the world, and emotional pain is real.... and the worst.

For others, Drugs are a powerful tool for self exploratio­n.... That's why they are outlawed..­. NeoCons don't want introspective population­.... hell they don't even want an educated one, or one thats more than just marginally employed

[CyrusBeaucephus]

puritans worry much more that someone somewhere might be enjoying themself than about the collateral damage their failed ideology causes. Legal drugs would be cheap, even if they were taxed. Who really can't afford alcohol? Even bums & the unemployed can easily buy it. Legal drugs would very quickly dissolve the current drug dealing black market. Those who justify the current war by saying otherwise are either fools or have a vested interest in the current failed system

[whomung]

Granger...
It's not "why do human's need drugs.... starting with the assumption that "drugs are bad"... but... Why have Humans --since the beginning of time--- used drugs to expand there consciousn­ess.... starting with the assumption­... maybe drugs are actually "good" and a tool for human growth, and evolution.

I don't know you.,... so not looking for a fight but... obviously, to consider things from this angle, you'd need to believe in evolution.­... which is how I believe *God* works.

Maybe we want to alter or consciousness for a reason, and it's NOT BAD..... Just the Satus Quo wants to control you

[Libsrule]

grainger, you really have no idea of what a human is. As stated by whomung, this is something that has been around since man existed.

Your strawman argument makes it sound like the same drug gangs are now going to be legalized.

Bullshit.

Take it comletely away and make it a medically handled solution like Great Britain does(or did, as I heard GWHB leaned on them stop "coddling" drug uses and kill them). You go to your local medical clinic run by actual real life doctors and get your drugs. Heroin, cocain, whatever.

Pop is a no brainer as well. GROW YOUR OWN! Hell legalize and the price for medical pot will drop like a rock. The people who run pot clinics charge even higher than street dealers do a great many cases.

Legalize drugs and you completely eradicate the drug gangs overnight. No drug money, no gangs, no guns, no violence, no addicts comitting crimes to get drugs and on and on.

Their will be an immediate spike but like when Prohibition ended, it will drop down considerably.

It's amazing just how fucking stupid our political leaders are. Seriously stupid.

We now have the Prison/Ind­ustrial/Mi­litary complex.

The real problem might be other countries who will go into serious depressions without all that illegal money going around.

Tough fucking shit.

LEGALIZE DRUGS.

AND I think the percentage of crimes will drop more than 70 percent.

[Libsrule]

Sorry I was typing to fast and they don't have an edit button.

COCAINE and POT.

[AKJM]

That's a lie!!
You can get all the nicotine you want for $5/day

[Rand]

Unless you are completely ignorant of 20th Century US history (Which would surprise me not in the least), you should know that the crime rate - especially the violent crime rate - dropped immediately after the end of Prohibition

Your claim about users resorting to crime is also incorrect: Most of the high cost of illegal drugs is due to the illegality. Get rid of the illegality, get rid of the high prices: Hey, presto! No more junkies breaking into your home!

[whomung]

Keith Richards Never broke into my house... but then he can afford his habit....

That's the point.... Give it away.... People who want it are never stopped "because it's against the law".... Only a candy ass would do that... You either want to do them, and do, or you don't want to do them, and don't.... Anyone who knows ANYTHING about this knows I'm telling the truth

the law has no more influence on this choice than lack of sex education and limiting contraceptive options has on a hormonal teen fucking.

It's a lot more about your neuro-chemistry (and sense of curiosity about life, and the nature of being human) than it someones legislative opinion of "morality"

[Loonie]

What problem are YOU proposing to solve?

[knowhelpnow]

I'm for him running for President at least he makes sence. How much have we spent on this war on drugs billions and for what to pay for them to rot in prison. Legalize drugs, take away the criminal gangs that sell them, tax them, make money, save money it worked with alcohol it will work with drugs, it's got to be better then this no win situation were in now. We can't win this one and we are running out of money, either the war on drugs or the war on terror we have to make a chose.

[youngharry]

Bravo.
At last an elected offical has the courage to say what is right and true. Take the profit out of drugs and you will reduce crime period. I would rather the government controlled the distribution of drugs, rather than the Colombian or mafia cartels.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

our government probably controls the drug trade in Afghanistan, if the CIA counts. Drug dealing is the perfect way to fund secret black ops. The old protection racket scam. As a result of our mismanaged Afghan occupation they are growing record amounts of opium. Its the only job those people have that will feed them--same with the south American coca farmers. The growers are peasants that barely make ends meet. The high level dealers, on the other hand make obscene profits

[bookish]

I had a patient who once told me that the CIA smuggled drugs home in the bodies of dead GIs from Vietnam.

[POSTHRUDAHART]

Duhhhhhh, no shit Sherlock. Guess nobody remembers the great 'success' of prohibition.
The government should be making taxes off them, and then using the money to discourage drug use, including alcohol and tobacco. They should also provide rehab centers for those who want to stop and vigorously enforce laws against impaired driving and any crime committed while under the influence should carry an additional penalty. You can't stop someone from using chemicals, legal or illegal, anymore than you can stop someone from overeating.

[yappnmutt]

he's nuts. ending the police and corrections officers' full employment act would devastate the economy and end the war on civil rights. no one in gov't would want that.

[CrimsonTom]

Seriously, the Mayor's right. What is awesome about the article is the representative of the police not getting it at all--legalization would take the money that he claimed as the cause completely out of the equation.

[TRYKER]

The police rep was probably referring to the side benefits that police get, graft, pay-offs, forfeited money and property in the drug bust and confiscated drugs that often go missing.

Prison Industries is like the military industrial complex, a growing business that endangers us all.

The Mayor is right, the War on Drugs is dead wrong and needs to stop.
Treatment and occupational training, education and opportunity are logical positives.
Do we want citizens or do we want prisoners?

[CyrusBeaucephus]

we'll either all be in prison or dead if these two growth industries remain unchecked. I thought all the wingnuts wanted free markets. Its not a free petroleum market when you spend a trillion dollars to subsidize it through the military. Or prisons and police. Just more Red State authoritarian bullshit

[totalliberal]

Why not? Everyone who wants to get drugs, can get them now.

Explanation. Not everyone wants to get drugs.

Kinda simple, huh?

(And as with booze. No kids allowed.)

[whomung]

True....

I'm 56, and I don't know ONE PERSON WHO EVER SAID NO TO DRUGS BECAUSE IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW.... NOT ONE.... You either want to take them, and do, or you don't want to.... period....

The law is meaningless --other than as a means to stock privatized prisons (where mama Bush has *her* money invested)

[totalliberal]

["I'm 56, and I don't know ONE PERSON WHO EVER SAID NO TO DRUGS BECAUSE IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW"]




I'm 67. Smoked pot in 1956. Didn't try it again until the 60's. Tried them all and didn't like most of them.

Raised a family and proud to say, they all went through college and have families. Now I occasionally do a dube. So I should be arrested?

[bamboozled]

If you notice, he never said "legalize drugs."

There's a big difference between legalizing drugs and changing the approach to how we deal with drug use.

The mayor is absolutely 100% correct. If we focused on treatment, even half as much as we focus on enforcement, crime would drop dramatically.

Of course, with the privatization of prisons, there is big money at stake in keeping people incarcerated. But what's good for business isn't always the best for the wider society.

You're going to enforce drugs out of existence when you enforce prostitution out of existence: never.

[TRYKER]

Prostituti­on...thats another war--against women that should stop.
It is insane that men having sex for free is perfectly OK, but men who pay money for sex make Women into criminals! WTF? what kind of logic could this be?

Women need to eat...hell­o, men need to have sex...what­s the problem?
Consenting adults should be entitled to exchange favors without govt interference.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

buht but but sex is wicked and sinful--especially when people enjoy it

what kind of message are we sending to young people if we don't criminalize sex??!!??

America is still reeling from Clinton's blowjob--it was like a mega moral earthquake that hit 9 on the wingnut scale--we will feel the aftershocks for generations

what we need are more prisons and more wars, right Red Staters. How about the death penalty for minor drug use? How about stoning sex offenders in the public square? We are a Christian Nation, right, so we must 'stay the course®' and KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL. DEATH TO ALL FANATICS!! THAT's THE ONLY REASONABLE SOLUTION!!! WHO'S WITH ME?? LET's HAVE A NEW CRUSADE FOR MORALITY!!!!

[researcher]

there is no money in that. as long as there is a need for drugs there will be drug suppliers.

same goes with illegals as long as chamber of commerce wants the cheap labor and demos want their votes they will come.

the war on drugs is big business as is the war on terror. ike warned us about the war machine but no one listened.

and the naive american people fall for it hook line and sinker.

"childrens do learn" but not american voters.

until we have guts enough to have a progressive third party or a socialist party that actually represents the people more of the same.

the neo cons have convinced most americans the trickle down theory works. suckers. elitists are smiling all the way to the bank while most americans pay higher taxes on their homes due to a housing bubble that was a loss of wealth for most americans.

wages stay the same housing costs rise to record highs. you do the math.

americans have a love affair with their two party system. guess who told them it is the best in the world?