| DEA Statement |
Response |
| The United States is the undisputed leader among developed countries in
rates of homicide, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Americans today stand a greater chance of being a victim of violent crime than of being
injured in an auto accident. Through the flurry of statistics that every year proclaim
either a rise or a fall in crime, several trends have remained constant. |
The reader will note that, once again, the DEA fails to properly
distinguish the causes of violent crime. |
| Violent Drug Gangs |
|
- Since the late 1980s, domestic drug trafficking gangs are responsible for the vast
majority of the violent drug trafficking that has transformed many of our cities and rural
areas into virtual war zones.
|
Like alcohol prohibition in the 1920s, this is simply the natural result
of prohibition and attempts to enforce it. |
- Today's gangs are violent and have grown from unstructured and undisciplined groups into
sophisticated criminal organizations, threatening the safety of the general public.
|
Why? Because of the tremendous profits in the prohibited drug trade.
It offers an easy path to riches for unscrupulous and violent people -- just like
Al Capone in the 1920s. |
- They have no respect for life and no hesitation to shoot anyone who happens to get in
their way.
|
Just like Al Capone in the 1920s. |
- The main reason for the proliferation of these gangs and their violence is drugs,
particularly crack cocaine.
|
No, the main reason for the proliferation of these gangs and their
violence is the tremendous profits which come from a prohibited drug trade -- just like Al
Capone in the 1920s. |
- A few years ago, gang activity was limited to some of our major citiesprimarily Los
Angeles, where the Crips and Bloods were household names. This gang problem that once had
been confined to major cities has now spilled over into the rural areas and smaller cities
of the United States. Smallbut no less viciousgangs routinely operate in rural areas, such
a Vidalia, Georgia, where a violent crack gang of 40-50 members was linked to numerous
homicides and drive-by shootings.
|
This is precisely the same sort of pattern that happened in the 1920s
during alcohol prohibition and ultimately led to its repeal. See, for example, Repealing National Prohibition. |
 |
|
- The mobility of violent drug gangs and the random nature of the violent crimes these
predators commit have posed significant challenges to law enforcement in every state of
the nation. The nature of the crimesdrive-by shootings, drug deals, and carjackings, which
often occur at nightmakes it more difficult for police to solve. There are often few
witnesses and few clues beyond a corpse and a handful of bullet casings.
|
Just like Al Capone in the 1920s. |
- The core of their violence is related to protecting and expanding the gang's lucrative
drug trade. Consequently, because many of these gangs control their territory through
intimidation and murder, citizens in the community are often afraid to come forward and
cooperate with the police.
|
Just like Al Capone in the 1920s. |
- DEA's commitment to controlling violent crime stems from the overwhelming number of
crimes per year that are drug related. The most recent national surveys show that more
than one third of all violent acts committed and almost half of all murders are drug
related. According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, 23,326 Americans were murdered in
1994.
|
Again, what the DEA fails to tell you is that the "drug-related"
murders stem from two primary causes: 1) alcohol
2) the tremendous profits from the illegal drug trade -- a direct result of an
unsuccessful prohibition.
See Psychoactive Substances and Violence,
by the US Department of Justice. |
DRCNet Response to the
