Law Enforcement Alliance of America Information

The Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) is often the only national police-based group representing the interests and concerns of police officers on the street -- those who patrol our streets to keep us safe. We are also closely aligned with and very sensitive to the issues of concern to those civilians who are -- or are afraid of becoming -- victims of crime. Drawing on this background, LEAA has developed close working relationships with various state Attorneys General. Many of these AG’s have become very concerned about the overwhelming ‘Meth’ problems facing state and local and law enforcement. Many AG’s feel that Meth is one of the worse threats facing their communities. In short, they are alarmed; they feel this may be one of the biggest threats/challenges they face. Meth, because it is so highly addictive, is a very real, imminent threat to those who try it. Because of its super addictive nature, many who try it just once become hooked. Some experts believe that just one use can change how the brain operates -- can change the chemicals the brain produces. Meth literally destroys those who use it. Countless street crimes are caused by addicts seeking to make a quick score. America needs a more comprehensive and aggressive approach to address this growing threat. Those who are hooked on the drug are a threat. They are a threat to their next victims and they are a threat to officers on the street (many of those involved in officer attacks/assaults are on drugs when they fight). Meth labs are a threat to those in and around the production of the drug in clandestine labs scattered through communities across America (increasingly including children, neighbors and first responders). The criminal drug trade in general -- and Methamphetamine in particular -- are a very profitable criminal activity and it is attracting the interest, backing and active support of organized crime and international drug cartels. In the face of these threats certain well-meaning politicians are proposing a series of bills to help address the problem. While all serious efforts to address this threat are appreciated, LEAA feels that efforts to eradicate this threat should, at a minimum, include:* Increased funding and support for local/state law enforcement for training, manpower and resources to detect, investigate, and neutralize local Meth sellers, buyers and manufacturers/labs. * Increased federal action at the borders to tighten border security (for many other good reasons including anti-terrorism) that will stop the flow of Methamphetamines and large scale smuggling of the precursor chemicals for local labs to produce Meth. * Increased integrated enforcement action outside the US to break the back of drug cartels/manufacturers and smugglers. * Increased penalties associated with all Meth related crime: increased bail/no-bail for those arrested for Meth related crimes (if for no other reason than to give the addicts a chance to break the addiction while they await trial instead of letting them back out on the street, still under the addiction, to commit ever more crime) and stiff mandatory sentencing minimums. * Increased funding to state and local governments to cover the added cost of incarcerating these Meth related criminals (shockingly, even today, criminals are let go because we do not have enough room in our jails and prisons to keep them locked up). * Dramatic increase in public education efforts. Every person, every parent, every young person in America needs to be fully informed about the terrible, extremely addictive, mind-altering nature of Methamphetamine. The more people who know about this terrible drug the more resources will be committed to fighting it, the fewer kids may try it and law-abiding citizens, armed with this new knowledge, will be better able to recognize the warning signs of drug use, sale and production and they can help alert law enforcement to increase enforcement. Not surprisingly, certain other groups, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), prefer to avoid LEAA’s get serious and get tough approach. They would rather support the idea of making law-abiding buyers of certain items (in this case cold medicine) the focus. They want to hold Pharmacies and Pharamacists responsible as key components in stopping criminal drug abuse/sales. LEAA believes that as a matter of public policy, enforcement efforts that target the law-abiding purchaser of a product are doomed to failure. Those who follow our laws are not the problem, never have been, never will be. Similarly, targeting those who make or sell legitimate products should also not be the focus of criminal enforcement efforts. Laws -- and law enforcement -- should be focused on identifying the problem, investigating the crime, assembling evidence, arresting the criminals, convicting them for the most serious crime possible and then sending a message through very tough and consistent sentencing. Stated the other way, LEAA believes that blaming a legal product, blaming those who produce or sell legal products, is a failed effort that only distracts from the real ‘crime issues’ and wastes preciously limited law enforcement resources when they would be better focused elsewhere. Groups like the IACP have made a veritable ‘cottage industry’ of holding everyone but the criminal responsible for crime.