The Journal Star reports that the Peoria Police Department, in cooperation with the State’s Attorney’s office, is rolling out a Drug Market Initiative/Intervention strategy here in Peoria. Although he’s not named in the article, this is the program developed by David Kennedy on which I reported back in March, with a follow-up article in April. In March, Chief Settingsgaard said that he had “a team being trained by Kennedy and his staff.”
The paper summarizes the program thus:
The Drug Market Initiative/Intervention strategy targets geographic drug markets and involves prosecuting the most violent offenders. Low-level offenders are offered a second chance through interventions and help from social service agencies, along with the warning that another crime means jail time.
I applaud the police for trying new methods to reduce crime, and I’m especially pleased to see the police working with the State’s Attorney’s office. Too often there is an adversarial relationship between these two agencies. Best of luck to everyone involved in implementing this new strategy.
I am in favor of what works.
Not to be a cynic, but some how I get the feeling Peoria will mess it up. Check out the much longer and more in depth article from a recent issue of the New Yorker to find out the pitfalls that cities entail because they don’t follow his methods as he suggests.
Here’s a link to the New Yorker, but you have to be a subscriber to read the entire thing. It does list the issue and date of the article.
http://www.newyorker.com/repor.....t_seabrook
I wish them great success. Have to admit that I am skeptical since I remember “Weed and Seed” quite well. Since this does not involve a Federal grant, it might just work. I welcome all the help we can get in my neighborhood. We are probably pretty high up on the target list.
I wish them luck in anything they try which might have even a slight chance of reducing the crime caused by drugs in this city.
I just hope and pray that everyone gets behind the Chief of Police in this endeavor to rid our area of all crime. We all need to stick together and make this work. Give him all the support he needs. Its to our own benefit.
Rid our area of all crime? Talk about utopia. Study after study, (See Kai Eriksen’s study of the Puritans of New England) have shown that as particular crimes become less frequent, others take their place. There will always be deviance in society. There will always be something we declare to be “criminal”.
A quick look at our history of drug laws show this to be true. A look at violence against persons shows this to be true. A look at sexual behavior, racial issues… the list is endless. If there is a law against something, it is because it was not illegal at some time in our history.
As Peter Berger wrote: The fundamental problem of society is not crime but the law.
AHHH another “strategy” , POP, neat team shame signs, Weed & seed focus orented police, Broken windows plan ,Neighborhood cameras, on and on, Peoria is known for not fully implemnting programs. Weed & Seed is a prime example. Weeding but no seeding. Fash in the pan and half impementing programs and not fully seeing if it makes a impact are the halmark of Peoria. .”Warning that another crime means jail time” only if the State’s Attorney’s office is FULLY on board. I forsee wiggle room there. Until drugs are not a money maker and don’t have a market it will be a problem.
Marty,
Drugs have been and will be a major problem. Does any deep thinker, don’t patronize me, really believe our drug policies are working? In America? In Mexico? In Afghanistan? In Columbia?
Maybe Singapore where the last time i visited drug dealers were sentenced to death. Short trials and no vistitor had better be caught using drugs. Tough love?
When we get out of a few of the messes we are in, I highly recommend a national debate.
Drug policies don’t work. Especially when the most dangerous drug (according to Surgeon General’s death count), tobacco is still legal. Secondly, alcohol, not marketed as the recreational drug it is but as a sexual aid, continues to be approved and promoted in our society.
Why would anyone consider any policy implemented by this same government or society to be normative? The realization is that it is all about taxes, profits and NOT AT ALL about health, welfare or morality.
Marijuana, cocaine, opium, psilocybin and other drugs have all been legal and socially acceptable at one time in our history. When government either gets out of the drug regulation business or concludes that caffeine, alcohol and tobacco (as well as other drugs) should also be banned… there will be illegal drug use.
that’s just my shallow mind’s point of view
kcdad wrote: that’s just my shallow mind’s point of view
First time I ever agreed with kcdad!
It’s also the first time you have been correct about anything on this blog
I am what kcdad lacks.
ha ha ha
It is a simple Catch-22 or maybe Catch-23. As long as there is a ghetto there will be drugs and as long as there are drugs there will be a ghetto and as long as there are rich white kids trying to act black there’ll be enough money to fuel the whole operation. Legalize drugs and prostitution and cut out the middle man. Eliminate the violence and the income will probably dwarf the gambling industry. Just need to get over one tiny little hump, this delusion that there’s some grey-haired white guy sitting on a cloud who doesn’t approve of it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09.....mp;emc=rss
Be prepared for a “crime wave” despite all the additional police overtime, armored cars and new programs.