tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post2776110461247014301..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Texas' Tulia Lesson: Dems Should Join GOP in Abandoning Failed Drug Task Force StrategyGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-47398755202630686522008-02-13T10:23:00.000-06:002008-02-13T10:23:00.000-06:00The thing I found most worrisome from a 'checks an...The thing I found most worrisome from a 'checks and balances' position is: When Federal funds (and control) trump State funding (and the local control that came along with it) at what point do local LEO personnel cease to be locally-controlled and become <I>de facto</I> Federal officials? Where is the line drawn? <BR/><BR/>Further, seeing as Black males are incarcerated at a higher rate than Whites for the same drug-related offense, the political aspect of nullifying the votes of minorities (who tend to vote Democratic) via felony voter disenfranchisement becomes unavoidable. You'd think the Democratic Party would be aware of this instead of urging more funding for a program that, plainly, hurts them at the ballot box. But rationality has never been a hallmark of this 'war'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-17031669814009234062008-02-12T22:44:00.000-06:002008-02-12T22:44:00.000-06:00The Task Forces were a dismal failure. The were a...The Task Forces were a dismal failure. The were a political answer to an unsolvable local problem. Smaller jurisdictions didn't have resources or interest in undercover operations or traffic interdictions that had little effect on the local situation.<BR/><BR/>Along come the task forces. Local law enforcement generally got a pass, they passed the info to the TF, and didn't have to follow up. When asked about drugs, they point to the task force.<BR/><BR/>The TF was largely responsible for two things. 1. Make large PR sweeps of insignificant drug users/sellers (a cottage industry at best in small towns) and 2. Support itself with traffic interdiction. Generally focused on the major nearby highways. This had two drawbacks; get the money, not the drugs (cars going west, not east)and absolutely no effect on the local drug situation (They were just passing though).<BR/><BR/>The sweeps were strictly for PR purposes with no real intent of lessening, much less stopping drug use or sales.<BR/><BR/>The bottom line? A political PR campaign for the locals and a fundraiser for the TF with little interest in actual drug seizures.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-53919915665053418462008-02-12T21:12:00.000-06:002008-02-12T21:12:00.000-06:00They should've subpoenaed the Harris Co TF e-mail,...They should've subpoenaed the Harris Co TF e-mail, they would've gotten some serious porn and racial messages.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-54856249824653809012008-02-12T14:16:00.000-06:002008-02-12T14:16:00.000-06:00JT, my apologies - looks like those links are dead...JT, my apologies - looks like those links are dead. TCJC is revamping its website, I'm told. I'll try to re-post the pdf files somewhere else and put the links up, or if anybody wants copies, email me at shenson[at]austin.rr.com.<BR/><BR/>- The Fallacy KingGritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-73273539085136972552008-02-12T14:00:00.000-06:002008-02-12T14:00:00.000-06:00Look, I'm sorry your agency got de-funded. It made...Look, I'm sorry your agency got de-funded. It made you angry. I get that. But be specific, please. What lies?<BR/><BR/>Also, if you admit that Lubbock is better off for the task force being de-funded, what's the problem? You're just mad that a pork-barrel fund got cut, but there's no argument to be made that disbanding task forces in Texas harmed public safety, and it arguably improved it.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-89923612476034855822008-02-12T13:54:00.000-06:002008-02-12T13:54:00.000-06:00That's right, JT. Read the Fallacy King's most in...That's right, JT. Read the Fallacy King's most inaccurate works, printed under the guise of truth by the aclu. <BR/><BR/>Lubbock? Almost ALL of that task force was funded by Lubbock officers. Of COURSE they have more manpower to concentrate on their own city. The difference is the Federal govt doesn't pay for it now.<BR/><BR/>You'll get it right one day, Scott. It's not your opinions that disgust me, it's your lies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-24981118172579974162008-02-12T10:33:00.000-06:002008-02-12T10:33:00.000-06:00I'm sure that's true, Andrea, not every state spen...I'm sure that's true, Andrea, not every state spends their Byrne money on task forces. In fact, Perry gives part of the Byrne money now to programs I support in Texas - not all of it goes to the border sheriffs.<BR/><BR/>But the task forces are the reason Tom Harkin, John Kerry and the Democratic leadership always name when they <A HREF="http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/02/11/news/local/doc47ad40b976596007307634.txt" REL="nofollow">hold their press conferences</A>, and it's where the bulk of the money goes, or at least was a few years ago when I was keeping closer track of it.<BR/><BR/>And yes, JT, there are plenty of wrong address raids attributed to these guys, and much more. See public policy reports I did for ACLU on the subject <A HREF="http://www.criminaljusticecoalition.org/files/userfiles/racial_profiling/aclu_rntf_report_2002.pdf" REL="nofollow">here</A> and <A HREF="http://www.criminaljusticecoalition.org/files/userfiles/racial_profiling/flawed_enforcement.pdf" REL="nofollow">here</A>.<BR/><BR/>Fun tip about the Harris Co. TF and the email scandal - I hadn't made that connection, but it's a good 'un! best to all,Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-17280118924090796292008-02-12T10:13:00.000-06:002008-02-12T10:13:00.000-06:00I was at an ABA conference last week, and the defe...I was at an ABA conference last week, and the defender community is worried about a decrease in Byrne funds because defender offices in other states have received Byrne grants to hire social workers, etc. to assist clients with addiction issues. The Byrne program is one of the few pots of federal money from which defender offices can seek grants. In Texas I'm pretty sure Byrne funds were never awarded to support defense services, but at a national level the fact that these grants have been used to support holistic defender programs seems to be driving some of the opposition from the D side of the aisle. <BR/><BR/>A MarshAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-64068161922484072642008-02-12T09:28:00.000-06:002008-02-12T09:28:00.000-06:00The current E-mail scandal/debacle in Harris Count...The current E-mail scandal/debacle in Harris County with the DA & Sheriff was as a result of a lawsuit field against members of the Harris Co Organized Crime Narcotics Task Force.<BR/>What goes around, comes around......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-26094360604370733422008-02-12T07:43:00.000-06:002008-02-12T07:43:00.000-06:00Are these the commando style drug raiders who scar...Are these the commando style drug raiders who scare the hell out of innocent people when they get the address wrong or act on bogus info? I personally know of two botched raids - that never made the headlines in our local rag. Did they shift the funding to local cops? If so, then I haven't been reading [but overhearing] about the "reformed" War on Drugs. Since a disproportionate share of police come from the military, it must be a thrill to put on that body armor and attack [relatively] defenseless civilians.JT Barriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15571868033521182864noreply@blogger.com