Work on the thesis. You can say, the one big idea in the five articles is “X” and then say what it matters. Have a focused argument. Fix thesis! Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that relates back to the thesis.
Police, Drugs, and Training
The drug world is evolving, and the consequences and effects of drugs are vividly noted in society. The police are the arm of the government whose primary duty is to combat the use and prevalence of drugs and drug-related problems. For the government to control drug usage, there is a need to control the production and distribution of drugs. Law enforcement comes in handy where police are trained and educated to get updated on the types of drugs and methods of trafficking that are used. Through the training, the police are exposed to the latest techniques used by the traffickers and develop the necessary measures to curb the use and spread of drugs. Training on drug-related offenses, the sophisticated drug traffickers? service, and the different types of medications in the market serve a great deal in combating drug use and its prevalence in society. The development of efficient and updated drug training guides will serve as a stepping stone to the drug war.
The use of drugs is significantly associated with violence. Violence is influenced by the systemic contingencies of use and prevalence of drugs in society. Drug-related homicides are outcomes of drug use and distribution (Curtis et al., 2007). Other causes of violence may arise from the dealing organization to enforce a compliance code among the organization members. The violence also spreads in the event of retaliation of the killing of a drug dealer by his associates and the killing of informers giving out information on drug-related cases. Disputes by the drug dealers on territories and punishments for selling counterfeit drugs increase the prevalence of violence in the drug world (Curtis et al., 2007). Drugs are harmful to the body, but they also contribute to the rate of violence in society. According to Curtis, drug-related violence is profit-motivated primarily and does not depend on the type of drug. The drug markets have different forms of violence, and an analysis of the markets provides a greater understanding of the violence they may cause. The drug markets are based on the social and technical aspects of the organization (Curtis et al., 2007). The social organization of the organization is the relationship between buyers and sellers. This relationship can be further classified into three forms. The most common forms are the corporate organization in which it is the distribution of drugs is by large organized organizations. There is a high degree of professionalism and a hierarchical structure (Curtis et al., 2007). A socially bonded organization is where the members are from a shared social group or family-based. The third form is the freelancer, where every man is for himself (Curtis et al., 2007). The technical organization of the distribution of drugs consists of delivery, the person selling, and the sale location.
These factors contribute to violence where the corporate side of the organization is responsible for the majority of the violence. In a corporate, the low-level workers instigate violence with rival groups to send a message. The freelancer can be exposed to violence due to robberies that cause a dealer’s death and as a result of territorial disputes (Curtis et al., 2007). The corporate organization has set territories, and territorial disputes are minimal. The rate of violence in the drug industry is high, and the number of deaths is numerous.
To combat and control the rate of violence, there is a dire need to develop interventions that will curb and reduce the number of those affected by the violence. Law enforcement is responsible for controlling and regulating drugs in the markets, and the fight begins with them. Law enforcement needs to develop effective techniques that reduce the rate of violence since it cannot be abolished entirely. Law enforcement should train the markets to adopt a delivery mechanism and rescind territories (Curtis et al., 2007). Dealers should avoid fixed sales points to avoid territorial conflicts, and the delivery mechanism should adopt a secret code for customers. Law enforcement should also train the dealers to prevent the use of guns in their dealings (Curtis et al., 2007). When one is arrested over the possession of firearms, the prosecution should press heavier penalties than those of a person arrested for drug-related charges. Law enforcement officers should receive awards and benefits depending on the efficiency of controlling violent actors rather than on the number of drugs seized (Curtis et al., 2007). Law enforcement cannot wholly eradicate drugs but can prevent the use and prevalence of the drugs.
The war on drugs is a work of continuous and evolving effort, and new methods are developed to curb the prevalence of drugs. The legalization of cannabis is one of the methods used to regulate the use of the drug. Washington and Colorado were the first states in the United States of America to legalize the use of cannabis in 2012 (Stanton et al., 2021). The legalization of cannabis aimed to increase tax revenues, reduce the rate of crime and reduce the number of those in correctional facilities. Legalization also aims to reduce racial arrests and put more police resources into combating severe crime and offenses (Stanton et al., 2021). Those who did not support the legalization argued that the legalization exposed minors to the use of cannabis, increased cases of driving under the influence of drugs, and crime would not reduce (Stanton et al., 2021). Legalizing cannabis ensures favorable policies that ensure that the police do not discriminate against drug users.
The journey to cannabis legalization requires extensive policymaking and public education to understand the need for legalization. The law enforcement officers faced difficulties in enforcing the new cannabis rules and regulations (Stanton et al., 2021). The officers were confused about an individual’s legal amounts of possession and use. The officers also experienced a lack of opportunity to educate the public on proper adult use. They lacked a sense of responsibility and willingness to impose the new cannabis rules (Stanton et al., 2021). The officers involved stated that since the legalization, they experienced more confusion in the context of legal smoking in public areas. The officers say that imposing these cannabis laws is unenforceable as they do not know how to react in some situations. Therefore, there is a vital need to educate the public on the conditions for cannabis legalization. Legalizing cannabis did not displace the illegal black market (Stanton et al., 2021). The black market offers a cheap, non-taxable platform, and the legalization did not affect it. After the legalization, the prosecution of cannabis-related cases was de-prioritized except in instances of large amounts of drugs (Stanton et al., 2021). Those caught using, possessing, and growing are not prosecuted as there are laws avoiding that. Prosecution for those caught driving under the influence was difficult. Some suggested that if one can go underregulated amounts of alcohol, driving with regulated quantities of cannabis is legal (Stanton et al., 2021). This discussion increased the confusion in the enforcement process.
Civic education and public awareness of the adverse effects of cannabis serve great importance. The public should receive extensive drug education to enhance the enforcement process (Stanton et al., 2021). The public needs not only to know the rules and regulations of the legalization but should also understand the effect the drug has on their lives. After the legalization, there is a dire need for law enforcement training on how to control the use of cannabis. Patrol officers need specialized training on how to spot and deal with those driving under the influence of cannabis (Stanton et al., 2021). The officers should crackdown on the illegal black sites to regulate the selling and transport of cannabis. By creating favorable policies, we will witness the growth of the cannabis industry, and the government will regulate its usage.
Another approach developed to control drug use is decriminalization. In Vietnam, the government amended the law and decriminalized drug use (Luong et al., 2021). The use of drugs was no longer a criminal offense but an administrative sanction. Those suspected or caught for drug use were sent to compulsory treatment without judicial interference (Luong et al., 2021). This policy contributed to a reduction in the crime rate, the number of those seeking treatment, and reduced prevalence of the cases of HIV/AIDS. The police were trained to implement the drug decriminalization policy, and their services were health-based (Luong et al., 2021). The police oversee the process, and their harm reduction efforts are more beneficial than offering punishment. In the United States, the police are educated on the perceptions of fentanyl (Del Pozo et al., 2021). Police education has been offered to reduce false beliefs about the drug and give them the necessary approach to dealing with such issues. The police officers are exposed extensively, and any inhaling incident may have grief consequences for the police officer (Del Pozo et al., 2021). Through training, the officers develop means of dealing with the drug.
The legalization of cannabis applies only to certain countries, and in the countries where it is not legalized, serious consequences are affecting the users. In Nigeria, there are numerous crackdowns by the police, resulting in the loss of life (Nelson, 2018). The violence caused by cannabis is a result of law enforcement. According to Nelson, police brutality is heavily witnessed in the lives of those caught using cannabis. In several instances, people saw smoking cannabis had been subjected to merciless beatings. Those who escape are threatened and can also be shot (Nelson, 2018). This police brutality results in physical and emotional harm to the users, and they disregard their personal space. The police are a significant threat to the life of cannabis users in Nigeria. The police dress in casual wear and park where the drug is sold. When one buys, you are arrested and taken to detention. The officers confiscate the personal items of the users, and some do not get their stuff when they are out of custody. The police violate the users’ human rights as a result of stereotypes of cannabis users (Nelson, 2018). With such an approach, the police do not reduce the rate of the drug trade, but they displace drug markets.
To control and regulate the use of drugs, supervised consumptions are dire for the benefit of drugs. With increased drug use, supervised consumption rooms provide a space for drug users to consume and dispose of their medications (Strike et al., 2020). Supervised consumption also ensures that instances of HIV transmission through sharing of needles are controlled and that those using the drugs will get connections from suppliers and other services (Strike et al., 2020). The police also respect the discretion of supervised consumption, and drug enforcement is different in these areas (Strike et al., 2020). In collaboration with the police, these supervised consumption areas serve their importance in regulating drug usage.
The police are the primary enforcers of drug-related issues. To control the use and prevalence of drugs, there are policies regulating drug use. Training is offered to the police officers to combat the spread and reduce the harmful effects drugs have on society.
References
Curtis, R., & Wendel, T. (2007). ?you’re always training the dog?: Strategic interventions to reconfigure drug markets. Journal of Drug Issues, 37(4), 867?891. https://doi.org/10.1177/002204260703700407
del Pozo, B., Sightes, E., Kang, S., Goulka, J., Ray, B., & Beletsky, L. A. (2021). Can touch this: Training to correct police officer beliefs about overdose from incidental contact with fentanyl. Health & Justice, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-021-00163-5
Luong, H. T., Hoang, L. T., Le, T. Q., Hoang, T. A., Vu, M. T., Tran, H. Q., & Thomson, N. (2021). ?we realized we needed a new approach?: Government and law enforcement perspectives on the implementation and future of the drug decriminalization policy in Vietnam. International Journal of Drug Policy, 87, 102990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102990
Nelson, E.-U. (2018). Police crackdowns, structural violence, and impact on the well-being of street cannabis users in a Nigerian city. International Journal of Drug Policy, 54, 114?122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.01.012
Stanton, D. L., Makin, D., Stohr, M., Lovrich, N. P., Willits, D., Hemmens, C., Maize, M., Bowers, O., & Snyder, J. (2021). Law enforcement perceptions of cannabis legalization effects on policing: Challenges of significant policy change implementation at the street level. Contemporary Drug Problems, 49(1), 20?45. https://doi.org/10.1177/00914509211053660
Strike, C., Watson, T. M., Altenberg, J., Barnaby, L., Bayoumi, A. M., Challacombe, L., Demel, G., Hopkins, S., & Wright, A. (2020). Challenges, skepticism, and recommendations from police about working in collaboration with supervised consumption services. Substance Use & Misuse, 55(12), 1919?1924. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2020.1781177
