Skip to main content

Latest

Chronicle
Chronicle
Chronicle
Blog

Cheye Calvo Comments on the Passage of SWAT Monitoring Legislation in Maryland

Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo sent us his terrific statement in response to the new SWAT reporting law passed by the Maryland legislature:

"Although the botched raid of my home and killing of our dogs, Payton and Chase, have received considerable attention in the media, it is important to underscore that this bill is about much more than an isolated, high-profile mistake.  It is about a growing and troubling trend where law enforcement agencies are using SWAT teams to perform ordinary police work.  Prince George's County police acknowledges deploying SWAT teams between 400 and 700 a year -- that's twice a day -- and other counties in the state have said that they also deploy their special tactical units hundreds of times a year.  The hearings on these bills have brought to light numerous botched and ill-advised raids in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties that also have had devastating effects on the lives of innocent people and undermined faith in law enforcement.  HB 1267 will shine this light, provide oversight, and demand accountability as a matter of course."

It's about time. No matter how many of these stories I cover, the scope of the problem continues to send shivers down my spine. Calvo's own story is troubling enough before one considers that there are so many more that follow a disturbingly similar plotline.

Calvo also comments on the fact that law-enforcement interests directly opposed his efforts to increase oversight and accountability:

"Although I applaud lawmakers for passing this bill over the objections of law enforcement, I was disappointed that state law enforcement groups decided to oppose this measure rather than embrace it as an opportunity to restore the public trust.  I remain especially concerned with the argument put forward that only law enforcement should police itself and that it is somehow inappropriate for elected leaders to legislate oversight and accountability.  I cannot disagree with this argument more.  As an elected officials, we must take full responsibility for the law enforcement departments that we fund and authorize, and we must hold our law enforcement officials to the highest standards and ideals.  I strongly support law enforcement and believe that so many of our officers are heroes.  However, it is perfectly consistent to support them, provide oversight, and demand accountability -- just as our constituents support, oversee, and demand accountability from us."

Well said. Still, I'm honestly appalled that such arguments even have to be raised. After everything that's happened, how dare they object to basic oversight? When law enforcement directly lobbies against accountability, that is just an affront to the public interest. It's outrageous and although the right result was reached, there remain serious questions to be asked about the agenda of those in law-enforcement who took a leadership role in opposing this bill.

With their hands stained in innocent blood, they arrogantly insist that we avert our eyes. Thanks to Cheye Calvo and Maryland's legislators, we'll do exactly the opposite.
In The Trenches

Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo Responds to the Passage of SWAT Reporting Legislation in Maryland


For immediate release:                                For more information:
April 8, 2009                                               Cheye Calvo, 301-789-5469
 
STATEMENT OF BERWYN HEIGHTS MAYOR CHEYE CALVO
ON PASSAGE OF SWAT TEAM REPORTING LEGISLATION

Senate passage of HB 1267 sends measure to Governor O'Malley for his signature

(Berwyn Heights, Maryland – Tuesday, April 8, 2009)  "Last night, the Maryland Senate passed HB 1267, the SWAT Team Activation and Deployment Reporting legislation, by a vote of 46-0.  This same measure was passed 126-13 by the House of Delegates on March 28, 2009.  The measure now goes to Governor Martin O'Malley for his signature.  I am hopeful that Governor O'Malley will sign this bill and make Maryland the first state in the nation to establish a statewide system of oversight and accountability for SWAT team deployments."
 
"HB 1267 will require law enforcement agencies with SWAT teams to report every six months to civilian authorities and to the public on the number, general location, purpose, authorization, and results of SWAT deployments.  It also directs the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention to analyze the information and issue an annual report on SWAT team deployments in states."
 
"I want to express my profound appreciation to the Maryland General Assembly for advancing this legislation and, in particular, want to thank the lead sponsors, Senator C. Anthony Muse (Prince George's) and Delegate Kris Valderrama (Prince George's), and the dozens of Senate and House co-sponsors for their leadership on this issue."
 
"Although the botched raid of my home and killing of our dogs, Payton and Chase, have received considerable attention in the media, it is important to underscore that this bill is about much more than an isolated, high-profile mistake.  It is about a growing and troubling trend where law enforcement agencies are using SWAT teams to perform ordinary police work.  Prince George's County police acknowledges deploying SWAT teams between 400 and 700 a year -- that's twice a day -- and other counties in the state have said that they also deploy their special tactical units hundreds of times a year.  The hearings on these bills have brought to light numerous botched and ill-advised raids in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties that also have had devastating effects on the lives of innocent people and undermined faith in law enforcement.  HB 1267 will shine this light, provide oversight, and demand accountability as a matter of course."
 
"It is my strong believe that police must their homework and resort to SWAT teams as a last -- rather than initial or de facto -- response.  It is my hope that, by providing oversight and accountability, HB 1267 will encourage law enforcement to exercise better judgment before deploying these paramilitary operations into our communities.  It is also my hope that this bill will provide elected officials the information that they need to establish sound and effective standards for how, when, and why SWAT teams are deployed."
 
"Although I applaud lawmakers for passing this bill over the objections of law enforcement, I was disappointed that state law enforcement groups decided to oppose this measure rather than embrace it as an opportunity to restore the public trust.  I remain especially concerned with the argument put forward that only law enforcement should police itself and that it is somehow inappropriate for elected leaders to legislate oversight and accountability.  I cannot disagree with this argument more.  As an elected officials, we must take full responsibility for the law enforcement departments that we fund and authorize, and we must hold our law enforcement officials to the highest standards and ideals.  I strongly support law enforcement and believe that so many of our officers are heroes.  However, it is perfectly consistent to support them, provide oversight, and demand accountability -- just as our constituents support, oversee, and demand accountability from us."
 
"It is my hope that HB 1267 is the first step among many more that will strengthen and rebuild trust in our law enforcement agencies.  I am hopeful that Governor O'Malley will sign this bill soon, and I am committed to work going forward to promote policies that both enhance our public safety and protect our civil liberties."
 
# # #
Chronicle
In The Trenches

Drug Truth Network - Cultural Baggage 04/09/09

The Unvarnished Truth About the Drug War From the Drug Truth Network Cultural Baggage for 04/08/09, 29:00 Glenn Greenwald speech to Cato Insitute about 7 years of decrim in Portugal, intro by Tim Lynch + Corrupt Cop Story with Phil Smith & Terry Nelson for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=node/2368 Century of Lies for 04/05/09, 29:00 Dr. David Duncan, professor emeritus at Brown University details the contaminants contained in recreational drugs + Phil Smith of Stop the Drug War with the Corrupt Cop Story LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=node/2359 Programs produced at Pacifica Radio Station KPFT in Houston, 90.1 FM. You can Listen Live Online at www.kpft.org - Century of Lies, SUN, 8 PM ET, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT & 5 PM PT: Next: Guests TBD - Cultural Baggage WED, 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 CT, 10:30 MT & 9:30 AM PT: NEXT: Glenn Greenwald/Cato Pt II Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org We have potcasts, searchability, CMS, XML, sorts by guest name and by organization. We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US, Canada and Australia! Check out our latest videos via www.youtube.com/fdbecker Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform. "Prohibition is evil." Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer Tel: 713-849-6869, Web: www.drugtruth.net
In The Trenches

Sobin "Behind the Wall" 16

Dear Friends, We are expecting an outstanding "From Prison to the Stage" show at the Kennedy Center this year (Labor Day weekend). Excellent plays and proposals sent to our review committee continue to arrive weekly. Playwright and Virginia inmate Hakim M. Abdul-Wasi sent us his terrific play "The Love that Divides." It compellingly tells the story of the turmoil in a Christian family when one of its members returns home as a converted and committed Muslim. It got high rankings by our review committee. Another excellent submission is by the Judy Dworin Performance Project. It's a collaboration between this well-known performance group and women at a maximum security prison in Connecticut. Entitled "Time In," here is an eye-opening and moving multi-arts piece that that integrates dance, music and dialogue in exposing the hopes and hardships of women in prison. In other news about our production "From Prison to the Stage;" we have a contact in Michelle Obama's office and have invited the First Lady to be one of our presenters. Stay tuned for more exciting updates about this widely acclaimed annual event that gives imprisoned playwrights and composers the recognition and prominence they deserve. Yours for justice, Dennis Sobin Prisons Foundation 1600 K Street NW Suite #501 Washington, D.C. 20006 A CALL FOR SUPPORT: The Prisons Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that promotes the arts and education in prison and alternatives to incarceration. We are now accepting tax deductable donations. The support of our supporters, quite bluntly, is what keeps us going. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the Prisons Foundation so that we may continue to promote the arts in prison and help encourage the wonderful atistic talent we cultivate everyday: *Note the views in this letter are those of Dennis Sobin. Please send your comments directly to him.
In The Trenches

Finally, Congress discusses prohibition!

LEAP logo

"Make sure your legislators are part of the 'Drug War' discussion on Capitol Hill!"

Jack Cole pic

Jack Cole
26-year veteran cop
New Jersey State Police

Take Action

Congress is Debating the Drug War. 
Are Your Representatives Part of the Discussion?

Dear Friends,

The war against the "War on Drugs" is really starting to heat up.  

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition has spent the last two years asking every single congressional office to take a thorough look at the failure of our drug laws, and now it is happening!

Recently on Capitol Hill, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Virginia) introduced a bill to create a blue ribbon commission to initiate a comprehensive review of America's criminal justice and drug policies.  The commission will spend eighteen months studying all aspects of the criminal justice system, report the findings to Congress and offer tangible recommendations for reform, including, possibly, an end to the cruel drug laws that send too many people to prison for too long.

But that's only if we build enough support to pass this important legislation.  

We've made it easy for you to contact your legislators about supporting Sen. Webb's bill.  All you have to do is go to http://www.DrugWarDebate.com and enter in your contact information.  Edit the pre-written letter if you want, and click send.  Then, use our automated system to let your friends know that they can take action too.  That's it.  

If enough of us put this already-bipartisan legislation on our senators' and representatives' radar screens, we can and will make a difference.

The United States is the number one incarcerator in the world, with one out of every one hundred American adults behind bars.  Sadly, the lion's share of this insane level of incarceration is driven by drug prohibition.

Our current policies are not serving the public interest, and the results have been devastating: since the inception of the "war on drugs," more than 38 million arrests have been made for nonviolent drug offenses.  Under Sen. Webb's legislation, the commission will, among other things, "make recommendations for changes in policies and laws designed to....restructure the approach to criminalization of, and incarceration as a result of the possession or use of illegal drugs."

A thorough examination of the criminal justice system as it relates to the failed "war on drugs" will go a long way toward awakening more policymakers about the reasons for reform, and Sen. Webb's efforts are exactly what we need right now.  Please visit http://www.DrugWarDebate.com today to contact your senators and representatives, asking them to support S. 714, the National Criminal Justice Act of 2009.  

And please consider making a donation to help LEAP continue our important efforts.  If you can afford to help, please go to http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com/donate and make as big a gift as you feel comfortable giving.

We can't do it without your help!

Sincerely,

Jack Cole
Executive Director
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Latest News
Latest News
Latest News
Latest News
Latest News
Latest News
Blog

Even Cops Are Getting Screwed by Inaccurate Drug Tests

Via Radley Balko, this one is hard to believe:

A decorated ex-cop who claimed he tested positive for cocaine because he ingested the drug during oral sex with his girlfriend can't have his job back, a Manhattan judge has ruled.

Supreme Court Justice Eileen Rakower last month shot down helicopter pilot Jon Goldin's attempt to overturn his April 2008 dismissal from the NYPD.

Goldin, a 15-year veteran, tested positive for cocaine in October 2006 in a random drug test using hairs from his arm.
...
Goldin's lawsuit said the cocaine in his system was the product of "passive ingestion" from performing oral sex on girlfriend Coreen McCarthy, who, once he tested positive, admitted to him that she was a regular cocaine user. [New York Daily News]


Needless to say, this cocaine-ingested-through-oral-sex line sounds like the laugh-out-loud lame excuse of the century. I'm highly inclined to doubt that such a thing is even remotely possible, but as to the question of whether or not the officer was actually using cocaine, I don’t know what to think. If his colleagues are to be believed, the story on this guy is that he's well known for not doing drugs. Supposedly, he's an "adherent of the 'straight edge' lifestyle that rejects substance use" and everyone knows he doesn't get high:

More than 70 friends went to bat for the ex-cop, saying they had never seen him take even a sip of coffee and that he abstained at bars while others drank booze.

I don't know these people, but I trust them more than I trust the drug test itself, because drug tests are bullshit. They're just not accurate. If a bunch of people come forward complaining that someone got railroaded by a drug test, I'm going to assume that's exactly what happened. It's happened before.

Notwithstanding the absurdity of the officer's crazy oral sex explanation, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he's the innocent victim of a false positive drug test result. If officer Goldin is telling the truth, then it's worth taking a moment to contemplate the irony that a cop who lives by a vehement anti-drug philosophy ended up getting screwed over by one of the numerous fraudulent technologies designed to ruin the lives of drug users.

I wonder what he thinks of the drug war now, after finding himself on the receiving end of its virtually infinite incompetence.
Blog
Blog

Another Reason the Marijuana Debate is Moving Forward


Nate Silver at the very cool polling blog FiveThirtyEight has another angle on the growing support for marijuana legalization.

Put simply, the percentage of Americans who've ever tried marijuana is getting bigger. There are steadily fewer voters out there who grew up before the 60's and 70's. Naturally, people who have experience with marijuana are less likely to be fearful of it and support harsh penalties for users.

Interesting. In other words, support for marijuana reform is likely to increase over time regardless of anything we say or do. That doesn't mean we don’t have our work cut out for us, but it's another factor to keep in mind when we run into new obstacles. The fight is exhausting, but time is on our side in a very real way.


from fivethirtyeight.com
Chronicle

Semanal: Blogueando en el Bar Clandestino

“¿Por qué todos creen que la legalización de la marihuana es un riesgo político?”, “El abordaje de los medios a la cobertura sobre la marihuana ha cambiado enormemente”, “‘A ver, ¿cómo va esta guerra contra las drogas?’”, “La secretaría antidroga no sabe qué decir sobre la marihuana”, “Obama no sabe qué decir sobre la marihuana”, “Hija de Joe Biden es presuntamente grabada esnifando cocaína”, “Cámara de Maryland aprueba proyecto para monitorizar uso de equipos SWAT”, “Hay muchas especies distintas de marihuana, pero todas son ilegales”, “Se hace trato legislativo sobre legislación Rockefeller sobre la droga”, “¿Cuánto peligro supone la imposición de la legislación antidroga para la policía? A: Por lo visto, no mucho”.
Chronicle