Victorian Police Corruption and Drugs

[johnboy]

I've been following this story for a long time and posting links here. Things are certainly going crazy in Victoria right now but of course it is nothing new. A few lines out of an Age piece called "The myth of the clean police force" struck me today:

Looking back over half a century of corrupt behaviour by some police, the trends are all too evident. Where there has been vast illegal industries present - abortion, prostitution, gambling and drugs - police corruption has thrived and the links between organised criminals and police cemented. The recent associations between the drug squad and Melbourne's crime gangs are just the latest examples.

As a police investigator told The Age this week, a high level of social ambivalence about the industries, a perception that there are no victims and a strong community demand for the "products" encourages police not to enforce the law.

"Faced with difficulties in sometimes getting convictions, bribes are an attractive and easy alternative," he said.

The current Ombudsman, George Brouwer, wrote in his Ceja report last week: "If the community expects police to enforce drug laws rigorously, it must also refuse to tolerate the notion of 'recreational drug use' and to see it as a victimless crime. Society's ambivalence can make the wrong choices easy."

I think the ombudsmen missed the point entirely.

Abortion, prostitution and gambling are now all legal in the state of Victoria. When they were illegal vast criminal "industries" were created, and police corruption followed. When each of these "crimes" were made legal the sky did not fall. Society held together and for the most part improved.

Is it time to ask seriously: should we decriminalise drugs? I have never been a fan of the legalisation arguement but I'm beginning to wonder if some middle ground can be found.

Remember that the only remaining "industry" they are talking about here is the one that supplies you with your drugs of choice. These people are shooting each other over profits made from the local ecstasy and amphetamine trade.

 

[mongman]

I agree completly. All you have to do is look at countries where some of these industries are seen in no "ambivalence" to see that the same corruption occures as a consequense there.

 

[superbabydoc]

An interesting question. I thought I'd do some reading about the legal status of abortion and prostitution in Victoria to give me some insight.

Abortion can be obtained legally if the "physical or mental health" of the mother is considered in jeopardy. But having said that, I don't think any criteria must be specifically met - if you go to a Dr who does abortions, I'm pretty sure anyone can have one (as long as it isn't a "late term" abortion). The legislation sounds like there are controls in place, but in reality the only control is the professional judgement of a Dr. I imagine abortion is no longer an area where any police corruption could occur.

As for prostitution, it is legal in Victoria if certain requirements are met. For example, brothels and escort agencies must be licensed. Street work is not legal, yet we all know this is still rife in some areas. According to the Prostitutes Collective of Victoria, most prostitutes still work illegally for reasons including drug addiction, having an illness like an STD that prevents them working legally, and for better pay. Apparently no licenses for brothels have been approved in country Victoria, meaning they can't work legally in the country (from the link at Sex Industry Laws - Victoria ). I would imagine that corruption, both from police and from others like local councils (who approve licenses) probably still takes place in the sex industry.

I'm don't think legalisation has removed the potential for corruption in the sex industry, and I suspect the same thing would happen if drugs were legalised. I also wonder what these criminal groups would do to make money instead - I can't see one of these guys taking up a carpentry apprenticeship, or getting a job at Coles.

 

[Winsom]

Jack Ford in Pentridge - I hope he brough his toothbrush & knee-pads !

 

[johnboy]

While legalisation doesn't entirely remove coruption it certainly means that there is less money to be made out of an industry.

Take gambling. I have no doubt that illegal gambling still exists (I live in Brunswick so yeah...) but it is in no way of the scale that used to exist when there was no legal alternative. More importantly the average person can now indulge in a bet without having to consort with criminals. And the same goes for prostitution and abortions. An average, otherwise law abiding person, has no need enter the melieu of crime.

(Although the biggest problem with legalised gambling in Victoria is that it provided a 24 hour money laundering service for the drug trade. 100's of millions of drug money are laundered there every year)

But I think this is where legalisation attempts have had the most success; seperating the criminal world, which will always be there, from those who are not at heart criminals.

This is one of the main forces behind the Dutch approach to drugs. Remember that no narcotics are legal in the Netherlands, but by strict controls of exactly where you buy them the element of criminality has been largely removed.

 

[Fry-d-]

I think what New Zealand is doing in regards to legalisation of a less harmful drug, BZP, in the hope of keeping people away from more addictive things like methamphetamine is another interesting approach. In that respect the more problematic substance is hopefully not as prevalent in effect putting the dealers out of pocket and the legal substance could be making money for the government. Thats the theory whether it works in practice tho....

OT: I like the new press hat JB

 

[killarava2day]

If drugs were legalised it would be one of the biggest blows organised crime could face, which is probably one of the reasons they won't be legalised anytime in the near future.

Oh, and anybody who uses drugs and believe that drug related crimes should be punishable ought to have the lense of their right eye removed with a rusty corkscrew IMO

 

[Tabernacle]

^ exactly organised crime flourishes where it is allowed to flourish. Rather than the accepted invasion metaphor of organised crime, it can be seen as an extreme system of social control that presides over areas the contracting state wont touch over fiscal reasons or legitimation crises. Organised crime is merely a conduit for big business to make vasts profits, without dirting their hands. And the best way this supply industry functions is to corrupt regulators and ensure an 'orderly' market. Just look at the role the US cosa nostra played for businessmen such as Joe Kennedy or General motors and the Chicago resturant association during prohibition in the 30s- it was a key source of their immunity from prosecution because they were actually part of the system

 

[hoptis]

I had similar thoughts when I read that article.

In fact, I've been thinking about it ever since the gangland killings in Melbourne started hitting the news... there hasn't been a better opportunity in a long time to put forward a compelling case for legalisation.

Not that it would happen in our lifetimes, but it's not hard in the current climate to put forward an argument that the average Joe out there can really appreciate.

Something like 80% of all crime is drug related, individuals like Carl Williams, Tony Mokbel, etc have made huge fortunes off the proceeds of manufacturing and selling illegal drugs.

Just like prohibition, abortion and prostitution in the past, it's been shown time and time again that where there is a demand for something illegal; there are resourceful and shady people willing to provide it.

The war on drugs has been lost.

It's time for a new approach...

You get the idea