Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

[Asgaya Dihi]

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition http://leap.cc/ is a group that I've mentioned here in the past, but I've never gone into detail. I was talking with a couple of them over the last couple of days and the speakers bureau coordinator for LEAP asked if I'd be interested in seeing if we could set up some speaking engagements. I couldn't think of a more politically active group than this offhand, so I'll start here.

LEAP is composed entirely of current and former members of law enforcement. Their members include active and retired chiefs of police, narcotics officers, judges, and others from across the spectrum of law enforcement. Anyone can join as a supporter, but to actually be a member or a speaker you need to have worked in the field. That gives them an immense amount of credibility when speaking to groups that would ignore anyone else. They now have a speakers bureau of over 40 members who would be glad to talk with any civic group that's interested in hearing the message.

LEAP’s speakers travel the country speaking to civic groups and the media to provide information about what America has done so far with the trillion dollars spent on drug prohibition since 1970, and what we should do from here on out. They don't sell a single "fix" for the problem, depending on who you speak with they may have differing approaches. All are convinced that the war on drugs in its present form has failed though, and coming from this group it's a powerful message for reform.

The mission statement from their web pages read as follows.

Mission Statement

Founded on March 16, 2002, LEAP is made up of current and former members of law enforcement who believe the existing drug policies have failed in their intended goals of addressing the problems of crime, drug abuse, addiction, juvenile drug use, stopping the flow of illegal drugs into this country and the internal sale and use of illegal drugs. By fighting a war on drugs the government has increased the problems of society and made them far worse. A system of regulation rather than prohibition is a less harmful, more ethical and a more effective public policy.

The mission of LEAP is to reduce the multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition.

LEAP's goals are: (1) To educate the public, the media, and policy makers, to the failure of current drug policy by presenting a true picture of the history, causes and effects of drug abuse and the crimes related to drug prohibition and (2) To restore the public's respect for law enforcement, which has been greatly diminished by its involvement in imposing drug prohibition.

LEAP's main strategy for accomplishing these goals is to create a constantly enlarging speakers bureau staffed with knowledgeable and articulate former drug-warriors who describe the impact of current drug policies on: police/community relations; the safety of law enforcement officers and suspects; police corruption and misconduct; and the financial and human costs associated with current drug policies.

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If anyone would like more information about the group feel free to ask me or to contact them at their web pages. http://leap.cc/ You can read more about them as well as watch videos or listen to audios of some past presentations a few of the speakers have made. If you would like to set up a speaking engagement for groups of any type either drop me a note or better yet contact the speakers bureau coordinator at [e-mail]

Even if you don't have a need for speakers, take the time to join as a "friend of LEAP". This group can reach people in a convincing manner who would simply ignore most reformers, they offer a great deal of credibility to the cause. They need us in return though, the larger the list of supporters they can wave at newspaper editors the more likely they are to get into print in the first place. If you want them to help us, take a moment to help them too.

[sweetheart]

1. Its the right angle

At the end of the day, we need to get legislators to run with the
ball, and i'm hoping that we (those against a failed drugs war), provide
a "Legislators guide to ending a failed prohibition."

This group of enforcement officers sounds brilliant and surely can
provide a sound proof for the detractors of harm reduction.

Thanks for posting about LEAP. The conservative argument that sells to
the USA today reader is the one that will win us the most ground, and
i think you're dead on endorsing this group.

[Dez]

2. How many member does LEAP have?

[Asgaya Dihi]

3. Membership

Current membership I couldn't tell you, but this is posted on the web pages.

"In two years we went from five founders to a membership of over 2,000, with 85 speakers, living in 34 of the United States and in 7 other countries. All LEAP speakers are former drug-warriors police, parole, probation and corrections officers, judges, and prosecutors. LEAP has members and supporters across the United States and in forty-five other countries, which is fitting since U.S. drug policy has ramifications that affect the entire world."

That's from the "About LEAP" page which we'll need to update sometime I guess, it was founded on March 16, 2002, so is over three years old now and still growing. About 90 speakers now as well, just 40 or so listed on the web pages though.

[Dez]

4. Thanks.. Let's hope

they can make a difference.

[Asgaya Dihi]

5. :)

We're sure going to try to make a difference, how much and how fast will depend somewhat on getting the rest of the activist community involved to help spread the word as well. I can't think of a single group of people in a better position to reach the average voter though, so if we can make use of them we're in better shape than we've been in years I think. As one of the LEAP members, Gary E. Johnson who was the Governor of New Mexico, likes to say, "support for prohibition is a mile wide but an inch deep", as soon as people realize what's going on we can end it. Not a direct quote maybe, but pretty close.

I wrote a somewhat better introduction for LEAP that another site was good enough to post as a front page news article, anyone can reply to threads in that forum but only mods can start them so it was a big help to us, and something we need as widely as we can get if we're going to change things. Rather than copy it here I'll just include a link, was written for them and I want them to have good use of it in return for the favor of the post. This is what I should have written here ;)

http://www.marijuana.com/420/showthread.php?t=39516