Obama taps Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske for Drug Czar

[Hope And Change]

Chief Gil Kerlikowske's career spans 36 years, eight of them in Seattle.

Obama taps Seattle police chief for administration job

Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske has accepted a job in the Obama administration, possibly overseeing the nation's drug policies, according to sources familiar with the chief's plans.

By Steve Miletich and Mike Carter

Seattle Times staff reporters

Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske has accepted a job in the Obama administration, most likely overseeing the nation's drug policies, according to sources familiar with the chief's plans.

Kerlikowske, who has led the department for more than eight years, has told the department's top commanders he expects to leave to take a top federal position, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren't officially authorized to disclose the information.

One source said the Seattle office of the FBI had received a "special presidential inquiry" ordering a comprehensive background check on Kerlikowske in anticipation of his taking a position in the administration.

Kerlikowske, 59, whose law-enforcement career spans 36 years, declined to comment Tuesday.

Seattle FBI spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs said the agency doesn't discuss background checks.


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008731191_kerlikowske11m.html">Full article here

[Robeysays]

1. is this the guy

who favors legalizing everything?

[Peace Patriot]

4. Wow, I didn't dare to hope that. Is it true? We could save billions and billions and billions

and billions of utterly wasted "war on drugs" dollars, and MANY other costs of surveilling, investigating, prosecuting, trying and jailing people for non-violent so-called crimes, like drug possession/sale and prostitution, and creating a fascist culture of "us and them" in police forces.

But it's a war profiteer/police-state boondoggle, and therefore extremely hard to challenge. Oh, Lordy, how I wish somebody in authority would.

[quiller4]

9. Nope. The Seattle police chief that he replaced has been an

outspoken advocate for de-criminalization.

[eridani]

12. No, that would be hie predecessor Norm Stamper n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. This guy oversaw a lot of corruption in the SPD.

I'm skeptical.

[Peace Patriot]

3. See this thread: "The Audacity of Dope" (about legalizing marijuana in California,

and taxing this huge crop, to relieve the budget problems).

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5031603

It's something we need to think about, and educate people about, and agitate about, as a country--the immensely wasteful, failed "war on drugs."

[Zodiak]

5. Just please tell me that this guy had nothing to do with the battle of Seattle...

...and I'm cool with it.

If what y'all are sayying about his position on legalization is true, then I'm waaaaay cool with it.

[mrs_p]

7. no - we had a different

chief then who was a decent person and resigned shortly thereafter. but, i don't care for gil myself. it seems the seattle pd has gotten away with a lot of shit on his watch, including doing nothing as a young man died at mardi gras.

[SeattleGirl]

14. Wasn't Norm Stamper chief during the battle?

Can't quite recall.

[mrs_p]

18. yep

and he is quite vocal about legalizing drugs. despite what happened during wto, we have always liked him and were sad to see him go. out of all seattle officials at the time, he seemed the most honorable and took responsibility for his part of the battle.

[SeattleGirl]

22. Thanks. Thought it was him.

I liked Norm too. Not many police officials are willing to step up and take the responsibility when things go wrong. I, too, was sad to see him go.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Found these interesting comments....

I applaud the Obama Admin's choice of Gil Kerlikowske to head up the ONDCP. Kerlikowske has shown a respect for the will of Seattle voters who passed I-75, making simple possession of marijuana lowest police priority. The SPD's measured treatment of the attendees at Hempfest further demonstrates that Kerlikowske is not part of the old guard "lock 'em up" mindset that has filled America's jails and prisons with non-violent drug offenders. Perhaps we will now get a rationale, humanitarian science based drug policy. The tremendous harm to society that the current policies have created are by far more damaging than the the social problems produced by addiction and abuse. Entire generations of sub-culture have had all of their respect for the rule of law undermined by clearly unjust, draconian, and in some instances Orwellian policies. Thank God indeed.


The previous chief of police in Seattle was absolutely amazing so Kerlikowse had big shoes to fill. He has done very well because he is down to earth and has good common sense and balance.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/02/president-oba-6.html


Reports have surfaced that Seattle police chief, Gil Kerlikowske has been tapped for a job in the Obama administration, most likely as the administration’s new head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, commonly known as the “drug czar.” But unlike past leaders in the “War on Drugs,” Kerlikowske is outspokenly lenient on the enforcement of marijuana possession laws - at least so far - with local supporters of medical marijuana laws very pleased with the choice.

The appointment comes after proponents of decriminalization and legalization of marijuana hounded the Obama administration’s transition Website, Change.gov with questions concerning marijuana laws, and openly objected to the vague and dismissive answers they received. This in turn prompted many in the movement to question the President’s commitment to revamping the drug laws, as he’d previously promised.

So does this appointment hint at changes-to-come in our nation’s drug laws, or is it just a bone thrown to the marijuana movement to shut them up?
http://coedmagazine.com/2009/02/11/did-obama-pick-a-pot-friendly-drug-czar/


“Oh God bless us,” said Joanna McKee, co-founder and director of Green Cross Patient Co-Op, a medical-marijuana patient-advocacy group. “What a blessing — the karma gods are smiling on the whole country, man.”
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008731191_kerlikowske11m.html

[gblady]

10. these articles....

look promising...

[dcindian]

8. Damn now Rush is crushed.

I hope he has enough Oxycontin to dull the pain after not getting the position of Drug czar.

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. I thought Mush wanted the FDA?

So he could make Oxycontin an over-the-counter drug, and wouldn't have to doctor shop, or send his housekeeper out to the street anymore.

[eridani]

13. A take on the appointment by Goldy of Horse's Ass

If we have to have one, Kerlikowske is a good choice.

http://horsesass.org/?p=12580

According to both local and White House sources, President Barack Obama will nominate Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy—a cabinet-level position commonly referred to as the Drug Czar—an appointment that could signal a substantive departure from our nation’s current marijuana-focused, interdiction-heavy drug policy, and a more realistic and progressive approach toward the issue of drug abuse in general.

Within the context of career law enforcement professionals, I think it safe to label Kerlikowske a “progressive.” During his ten-years at the helm of the Seattle Police Department and his current term as president of the Major Chiefs Association, Kerlikowske has been a vocal advocate for gun control and community policing, while serving as a prominent critic of the use of intrusive data mining techniques as a tool for combating domestic terrorism. But while he hasn’t been particularly outspoken on drug control policy, Kerlikowske’s relative silence is encouraging in itself, considering the progressive mores and statutes of the city whose laws he has enforced for the past decade.

While Kerlikowske opposed a 2003 citizens initiative making marijuana in Seattle a “low priority crime,” calling the measure vague and confusing (and… well… most initiatives are), he emphasized to local reporters at the time that marijuana possession and use already was a low priority, and in fact, Seattle’s already low marijuana prosecution rate has dropped even further since the measure’s passage, indicating a responsiveness to the will of the voters. Indeed, local drug reform advocates seem downright ecstatic about Kerlikowske’s appointment:

[cbc5g]

15. It's pretty encouraging

I was expecting Obama to pick a drug warrior.

[eridani]

19. That cancels out Holder's position handily, IMO n/t

[MagickMuffin]

16. "Oh God Bless Us!"

Kerlikowske's possible role in shaping drug policy for the Obama administration was applauded Tuesday by local medical-marijuana advocates.

In 2003, Kerlikowske opposed a city ballot measure, approved by voters, to make marijuana possession the lowest law-enforcement priority, saying it would create confusion. But in doing so, he noted that arresting people for possessing marijuana for personal use was already not a priority.

"Oh God bless us," said Joanna McKee, co-founder and director of Green Cross Patient Co-Op, a medical-marijuana patient-advocacy group. "What a blessing — the karma gods are smiling on the whole country, man."

McKee said Kerlikowske knows the difference between cracking down on the illegal abuse of drugs and allowing the responsible use of marijuana.

Douglas Hiatt, a Seattle attorney and advocate for medical-marijuana patients, said his first preference would be for a physician to oversee national drug policy.

But Kerlikowske would be a vast improvement over past drug czars, who have used the office to carry out the so-called "war on drugs," Hiatt said.

Kerlikowske is a "very reasonable guy" who would likely bring more liberal policies to the job, Hiatt said.

:smoke:

Almost anyone would be better than John Walters:puke:

The US House of Representatives celebrates the end of alcohol prohibition, while marijuana users are still considered criminals.
Salem-News.com
Image: Current.com

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - The major U.S. government study of drug use shows that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has badly failed to meet its own goals for reducing use of marijuana and other illegal drugs, according to a pair of new reports by George Mason University senior fellow Jon Gettman, Ph.D.

In addition, ONDCP and its chief, "Drug Czar" John Walters, have misused treatment statistics to suggest that marijuana is dangerously addictive when the government's own data suggest that arrest-driven treatment admissions have wasted tax dollars by treating thousands who were not truly drug-dependent.

All while the FBI's new tally is the highest marijuana arrest total ever-reported in law enforcement history.

"The government's own statistics demolish the White House drug czar's claims of success in his obsessive war on marijuana," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. Kampia noted that during Walters' tenure, ONDCP has released at least 127 separate anti-marijuana TV, radio and print ads and 34 press releases focused mainly on marijuana, in addition to 50 reports from ONDCP and other federal agencies on marijuana or anti-marijuana campaigns.

"The most intense war on marijuana since 'Reefer Madness,' including record numbers of arrests every year since 2003, has wasted billions of dollars and produced nothing except pain and ruined lives."

more: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/october092008/marijuana_100808.php

[Alexander]

17. As I suspected, President Obama snubs the Drug Warriors.

:thumbsup:

[BalancedGoat]

20. Seems to be an improvement.

I found an interesting bit here.

Still, even the police have put new energy into searching for alternatives to arrest and prosecution.

"There's been a sea change in attitude," says council member Nick Licata.

Capt. Mike Meehan, head of the SPD's narcotics section, calls it more of an "evolution."

In the next few months, Meehan says, the department plans to launch a pilot project modeled on a program in High Point, North Carolina. Police there bring young people who could be arrested on drug charges into their precincts. "In one room, all the evidence of the case is presented," Meehan says. A person is told: "We can arrest you --but we don't want to do that." Then that person is led to another room, where police have assembled family, friends, teachers, and community members. Police present a choice: get arrested or straighten up with the help of those in the room. Many choose option B, according to Meehan and studies of the program.

I didn't read the whole article and it doesn't seem that Kerlikowske himself discusses the program, but I assume he must have signed off on it at least.

[jberryhill]

21. NORML blog post:

http://blog.norml.org/tag/gil-kerlikowske/

[ClayZ]

23. Hempfest Seattle

http://hempfest.org

[Numba6]

24. Some local views on Seattle's top cop & drugs

http://horsesass.org/?p=12580

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/02/11/czar_struck_obama_s_brillia