Consequences of Prohibition
Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
The California Central Valley city of Stockton has been a poster child for the Great Recession, infamous for its housing developments filled with foreclosed homes, its tent cities along the San Joaquin River, and its horrendous 20% unemployment rate. As joblessness soared and the Central Valley economy withered, so did Stockton and its municipal finances.
Stockton police union billboard (courtesy Kevin He and Flickr)
"We absolutely do not have any narcotics officers, narcotics sergeants working any kind of investigative narcotics type cases at this point in time," Officer Pete Smith told Sacramento's Fox40-TV.
That was news to Mayor Ann Johnson. "It distresses me that we've had to go to this extent in terms of reductions in our police department," she told Fox40. But the mayor blamed police for failing to negotiate a way to avoid layoffs. "It's really up to our unions, our police union to come to the table to make concessions so we can save officers or rehire officers. It's all about finances," said Johnston.
Stockton police and their union have fought hard to avoid cutbacks, even as the budget axe decimates other city departments. Before last month's layoffs, the Stockton Police Officers Association launched a billboard campaign, the billboards dripping blood and screaming "People are Being Murdered in Stockton" and "Stop Laying Off Cops."
The cops are resorting to the same sort of scare tactics now, with spokesmen warning of a jump in crime because of the lack of a dope squad. "Drugs are a breeding ground for many other activities," said Smith, "and if these are going more and more unchecked, one would have to speculate that you're going to see a rise across the board in those types of criminal activities."
Time will tell. And perhaps the good citizens of Stockton will come to see that there are better ways to protect the public than spending their money on drug squads.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
well its about time
that these despicable profiteers in human misery were shown the road now lets get rid of the rest of these creeps
In reply to well its about time by old vet (not verified)
Soul Ja girl
Like your comment, Anon.
In reply to well its about time by old vet (not verified)
Hear, hear!
This militarization of our police forces is stupid, wasteful, brutal, and ineffective. Thank god we are finally cutting their funds.
This Does Not Worry Me...
This is a great opportunity to allow for a natural semblance of living in Stockton!! Responsible, moral humans residing amongst each other NATURALLY work together for survival. Sure, there is always crime/violence/whatever, but it can be at least somewhat eradicated out through peaceful awareness. Seriously... think about life back in the early 1900's. Was crime really all that high? Do the physical existence of drugs (I do NOT use them currently) really and truly mean that "crime" is automatically created? "Crime" occurs because someone tells you that it's a crime. If I decide to grow my own PLANT to consume in any way I please... and to NOT FORCE ANOTHER PERSON to smoke or ingest... is that really wrong? Who is deciding that this is wrong and WHY? Does the substance being deemed illegal make more money for them and give them power over my personal life? Are they stealing from me? I am only deciding to "do harm/enhance" myself, and no other. Is it really moral and right for another, who is NOT Godly or all-knowing or ME, to decide that what I do to myself is ILLEGAL. If it's legal for a government or a narc to determine what I can ingest... will we be surprised when we are incarcerated for consuming particular vitamins or "superfoods" (see the United Nation's "Codex Alimentarius", which is already being implemented)??
If you take a close look at history, and present, you will find that crime is actually WAYYYYYY HIGHER when more law enforcement exists, when good citizens aren't allowed to defend themselves and when more and more ridiculous, draconian laws are created to hinder the natural freedom and movement of a people.
Less law enforcement = less taxation. Less taxation = less STEALING being done by the government.
And, last time I heard, STEALING was a bad and immoral thing.
Less stealing = MORE FREEDOM!! ... to eventually have more of your hard-earned money to spend as you wish, to frequent the wonderful farmer's markets in California with (hint, hint)!! ;-)
Are you afraid of having less police? STOP being afraid. Protect YOURSELF. You are led by outward sources to think... "OH NO! What will we do if others don't protect us??" When you think like that, you stop living and you start acting like a slave.
Love, Light & Liberty!! <3
In reply to This Does Not Worry Me... by A (not verified)
Yes, in Stockton, crime
Yes, in Stockton, crime really was that high. This is Stockton we're talking about. You know, the wild west. Stockton has been a wide open town for over a century. I should know, my grandmother ran a brothel in downtown Stockton till the early 30's. This town is full of corruption, violence and yes, drugs. Oh the drugs. And it always has. I dare you to live here for just 6 months. You wouldn't last.
In reply to This Does Not Worry Me... by A (not verified)
It must be nice in your
It must be nice in your "sweet little world"...when you decide to pull your head out (of the clouds), please inform the rest of us who live in REALITY!
Please consider seeing a drug counselor, because you are SERIOUSLY deluded. I truly hope (and expect) that you are posting from PRISON!
Nostalgia...
There has been a 3,000% increase in laws enacted in this country since 1900. Under Common Law, somebody has to be hurt before there can be a crime.
In reply to Nostalgia... by Auntie Social (not verified)
And they wonder why taxes ares so high!
Some people (specifically, attorneys) just don't want to stop the money machine of MAKING LAWS, but they DO perpetuate SELECTIVELY ENFORCING LAWS!!!! It is costing us BILLIONS to support UNJUSTLY APPLIED LAWS and internal corruption! Too bad all the REAL CRIMINALS get away with crimes, while innocent victims suffer the whims of the elite AND criminally minded!
Oh no!
The cops do not have enough money to support their drug squads.
Well, maybe we will see some PEACE in the town of Stockton.
Maybe the officers that are on the job will spend more time on violent crimes.
In reply to Oh no! by Jean Boyd (not verified)
Go back to your cell and quit posting from prison!
PLEASE...go back to your cell and quit using public money to voice your opinion about CRIMINAL RIGHTS...the only rights criminals should have is the right to remain silent!
RE: Oh no
Jean Boyd, I regularly read your musings (you manage to Piss Off Swat Cops). You fight your adversaries with the Truth.
I'm curious about you and I'd really like to chew the fat with you.
Drug cops cut in Stockton
I'm just wondering if any of the people posting actually have ever lived in Stockton. I grew up here and when I was growing up, it was like living in a war zone. I left and went off to college and when I returned, it was an entirely different town. Mainly because community service officers were assigned to patrol neighborhoods and special programs were set up to get kids out of gangs. I know that some cops are racist and those bastards can kiss my ass, but a lot of cops just patrol the neighborhoods and make sure that everyone remains safe. Now those cops are gone and I fear a return to the days of the 1990's when Stockton truly was the wild wild west. And the narcs are not after peaceful pot heads. For the most part, they are after meth labs. Meth labs destroy communities and lives. I remember when my cousin lived across the street from a drug park near many meth labs and she could never leave her home or go to the park because their were so many shootings and the meth heads were all over the place. The police never came because they didn't have the staff to deal with the situation. So my cousin had to live in fear for her life. Her house was shot up several times before the city just condemned the entire neighborhood. Still, no cops ever came. My grandmother also lived across the street from a drug haven. When we used to go visit her, 30 guys would run up on my mom's car and shove drugs through the window if we got stopped at the lights. We always had to remember to role up the windows before we got near her house. Her house also got shot up many times and the police never came. Have you ever seen a mom hooked on crack trying to raise her kids? Have you ever seen a mother smuggle drugs in a baby's diaper so that she wouldn't get caught by the police? Have you ever seen a kid who's mom was hooked on meth and the kid knew it? Or a kid who's been nearly beaten to death because his mom was so strung out she didn't know what she was doing? I have and it used to break my heart all the time. Now I am so used to it, I don't even bat an eye anymore. I think that a lot of you out there live in a nice little dream world. You have no idea what it is to live here in Stockton. There are over 35 languages spoken in this town and many many races co-habitating together in a very delicate peace. But let me be frank. Many of the people here hate each other. They kill each other all of the time because of cultural differences, gang affiliations, or something that happened in another country many years ago. And the killings have already started to rise agian. So you can hate on the police all you want, but you have no idea what's going on here.
In reply to Drug cops cut in Stockton by Veronica Lopez… (not verified)
Stockton's downfall was a federal agenda for CA liberals!
You can thank the federal gov. for that one...Stockton was one of the first "welfare/section 8 housing" orgs that brought in a lot of the "supplemental workers"...i.e.mostly criminals/excons and illegals in welfare housing, or that would PAY them to hide out in the projects...
Drug cops cut in Stockton
Honesty, come on Now, the real reason this city is going through all this economic cutting, because Karma is cruel It was time to pay the piper, You think all this government corruption and arrogance was going to continue and last forever ? Narcs, smoking Meth, Narcotics Officer Negrette stealing money,from dope dealers fritz eating burritos from the raided homes. .shabar living like a sultan collecting taxes on the poor..Recovery and revenue asking more money from disabled criminals? Stockton is a city whos End is almost near, Correctional officers are doing wicked things to inmates and laughing about it. .Awp and Emp programs are also are not blameless, corrupted obese employers who try skim off the top the Revenue and Recovery monies. from the inmates. All this will come to and end God will not smile upon this...A city thats corrupted will fall.. 3 years. The only ones that will stand solid are those whose foundation is in God. churches,and food distributors. and the Hispanic community will survive the economic crisis. and Ralph white who \ planted a seed by saving many of the new Orleans children and families.... Its time to support our local neighborhood church folks.. your going to need them one day......
In reply to Drug cops cut in Stockton by girlkat209 (not verified)
DA's involvement!
Unbelievable that someone else knows the DEPTH of the corruption, but you forgot the mention the DA's and a local (Sic: "Pig") attorney's involvement in the perpetuation of corruption and felony cover ups...a few lawyers should be arrested for complicity in felony crimes and cover-ups, as well as TOTAL court corruption, but instead they are PAID TO TEACH OTHERS HOW TO DO IT!!!!!
Law Enforcement Corruption
Funny to see such a billboard erected right next to "The Pharmacy"...
I still haven't heard any more about the OTHER CORRUPTION in the DA's office connected to the felony cover-ups at the sheriff's office and Victim-Witness!
It is SO DEEPLY EMBEDDED that NO LAW ABIDING CITIZEN has a CHANCE to understand or see HOW deeply the corruptive measures in the county remains a STANDARD/NORM, especially after YEARS of hiding felony corruption by law enforcement...the Dunn FALSE FLAG investigation has STILL not discovered DEEPER CORRUPTION and felonies committed by certain SJSO and DA connections!!!!
I have PERSONALLY seen how they have created criminals of innocent victims, and totally protect criminals involved with the monied "enterprise." SHAMEFUL when a life is STOLEN and law enforcement is TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE for TOTALLY COMPLICIT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY...it's time ONCE AGAIN for the FEDS TO GO HUNTING!!!!! I hear the reward is worth MILLIONS!
A few of you need to check your MORAL COMPASSES and Karma! (And the word after "MORAL", should have been hyphenated, just as you were financially 'comped' for the cover ups!) Has Dunn asked fo a REIGN check yet?
YOU CAN THANK JERRY BROWN!
Recent news revealed that the CA prison system "Accidently released" over 350 VIOLENT OFFNDERS from prison...between THAT and Jerry Brown and other LENIENT LIBERALS who obviously were NEVER VICTIMS OF CRIMES, for EARLY RELEASE...now they wreak HAVOC on law-abiding citizens that are afforded NO PROTECTIONS...and do NOT be fooled into thin you will EVER HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO PROTECT YOURSELF! You WLL be charged if you avert an attacker and the CRIMINAL (and criminal family members) FALSELY CLAIMS that "you caused him harm" for protecting yourself...
Jerry Brown needs to be sent to prison as a TRAITOR to LEGAL and LAW-ABIDING AMERICAN CITIZENS...
At the very LEAST, RECALL JERRY BROWN!!! HE is PRIMARILY the one to blame for the INCREASE IN CRIME!
And yes, Arnold DID also know about SJ CRIMES
Arnold was sent a letter about the corruption, but evidently he had his OWN bad agenda that was more of a priority to keep under wraps!
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