Nimbin police launch 'drug war'

Nimbin police launch 'drug war'

NIMBIN — The NSW Police Service has decided to throw money and civil rights to the wind in an effort to win the unwinnable "war against drugs".

While some police want drug abuse to be treated as a health issue, hordes of undercover, plain-clothes and beat police here have decided to stick to what they know best — heavy-handed repression.

"El Dockin" is the name of the latest drug operation against heroin suppliers and dealers. While the police promised that cannabis possession would not be targeted and that no person would be searched on the streets, only about 10% of the 200-plus arrests so far have been heroin-related, and many young people were publicly searched.

The great majority of cannabis cultivation charges have been for small personal crops.

A 200-strong meeting on June 23 voted unanimously for an end to the police operation and called for a reform of NSW's drug laws. The Southern Cross University Ethical and Progressive Law Collective stated that it's impossible to deal with a 1990s health issue with a 1930s strong-arm police approach.

[EPLC can be contacted on (066) 886 268.]

From GLW issue 193