Law Enforcement Leaders Denounce War on Drugs at Hoover Summit

LAW ENFORCEMENT May 1995

Fifty law enforcement officials from across the United States met at Stanford University May 9 and 10 for a summit on drug policy. At the conclusion of the conference a majority denounced the nation's current "war on drugs" strategy.

All 38 of the attendees who answered a questionnaire said they advocate treatment, prevention, and education rather than more arrests and prisons as ways to reduce drug abuse. In addition, all of the respondents said the federal government should appoint a panel to evaluate current drug policies and suggest alternatives. Only four respondents said they support the "war on drugs" approach.

The summit was organized by Joseph D. McNamara, a fellow at the Hoover Institution. He is the former police chief of San Jose and Kansas City, MO, and rose through the ranks, starting as a foot patrolman in the New York City Police Department.

[For more information about the summit, contact Joseph McNamara or Sara Korn at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford CA, 94305-6010, 415-723-1754. Also, see Joseph D. McNamara, "Drug Peace," San Jose Mercury News, May 17, 1995, p. 7B.]