potI came across an article in the Huffington post where law enforcement is complaining loudly about the US Justice department saying it is backing off enforcement of fed laws against pot in those states that allow for the use of Medical Marijuana.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/30/police-eric-holder-marijuana-_n_3846518.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

So much for states rights. For the record, I do not smoke pot and I do not use drugs. I do not much care if people smoke pot either for recreational use or for medical use. I also do not care about if pot is made legal or not.

Now, what I do not understand is the position that various Sheriff departments art taking. That is, until I read the article and caught this about half way into it.

sleepingcop“Local law enforcement agencies rely heavily on the drug war for funding. Police departments are often able to keep a large portion of the assets they seize during drug raids, even if charges are never brought. And federal grants for drug war operations make up a sizable portion of local law enforcement funding.”

So it is the money and not the drugs the cops are complaining about.

When I am out and about in Orange County, Florida and Orlando, I sometimes stop in one or two convenience stores where the cops hang out. The one thing they always gripe about is how over worked they are and how futile the effort is to go after the users of pot and the small time dealers.

Too much crime and too few deputies is a common complaint  that is echoed all over the country.

Now, when an opportunity to decrease the workload on the cops and allow them to better protect their communities against, say robbers and carjackers, they complain.

It is the money, and not the drug use they are really concerned about.

Actually, having the drug laws enforced here is an advantage for the local motorists here.

While the cops are off chasing potheads, we are less likely to get pulled over for speeding.

Stay tuned

 

MURT