ShadyLady
New Member
Drug users will be named and shamed and shopped to their employer as a part of a revolutionary new "zero tolerance" scheme, it emerged last night.
People convicted of possessing illegal substances, including cannabis, will have their photograph posted on a website, published in their local paper and pinned up in Tube stations to deter others from buying drugs.
The move is a direct response to the failings of the liberal drugs policy introduced in Labour-run Lambeth, South London, by the borough's former police chief Brian Paddick.
Officers say Lambeth, which includes Brixton, has turned into a glue-pot for "drugs tourists" who believe they will be treated leniently if caught with banned substances.
The unprecedented "naming and shaming" proposal has been suggested by Lambeth Council's leader Steve Reed and will outrage human rights groups.
But Mr Reed says a public crackdown on those who come to the area to buy drugs is the only way to stop the trade.
Lambeth was the venue for the "softly softly" experiment on cannabis pioneered by Commander Brian Paddick nearly six years ago.
Mr Paddick, who is now a Scotland Yard Deputy Assistant Commissioner, argued that those caught with a small amount of the drug should be warned instead of arrested.
His pilot scheme, introduced in 2001, was widely seen as the trailblazer before the heavily criticised relaxation of the cannabis laws in 2004.
But Mr Reed is angry that Lambeth, and Brixton in particular, has become a honey pot for drug "tourists".
He said the get tough policy would apply to anyone convicted of possessing any illegal drug including cannabis.
"We intend to write to people's employers and publish their names and photographs in their local paper. If we get a few of these individuals and expose them, people will stop coming," he said.
"We're planning to put up a website and publish their names and pictures on that. Posters of them will be put up in train stations. If buyers are coming up the escalator, they will see that poster with the message If you come to Lambeth to buy drugs we will stop you. It is the most draconian approach ever taken by any council ever. The police are 100 per cent behind it."
In the past, forces have in the past been given permission to set up websites for wanted criminals and paedophiles but possession of drugs, especially if a small amount of cannabis, may not be considered sufficiently serious to warrant exposing an offender.
Mr Reed said checks were being carried out on the legality of the proposals but he hoped the scheme would be up and running within a few weeks.
He said: "The drugs policy in Lambeth changed after that Borough Commander left and that was three borough commanders ago.
"In fact, there has not been any kind of toleration since then but the problem is that reputation still exists. We need to be much more draconian about the drugs trade on our streets. If we have a reputation that you can come and buy your drugs here, people we keep coming. So we are going to get tough, naming and shaming people who arrested to stop the flow of people coming to buy here."
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We recognise that there is a problem with drugs tourism in Brixton with people coming from outside the borough to buy drugs.
"We continue to work closely with our partners, including the local authority to tackle drug-related crime.
"A variety of different initiatives are being discussed but it is too early to say if and when any of them will be agreed and adopted."
Last week a Rastafarian temple in the borough, which had been taken over by Jamaican Yardies and turned into a huge drugs den, was raided by armed police and 23 people were arrested.
Three people were charged with conspiracy to supply Class C drugs and further charges are expected.
However the council may be prevented from implementing their name and shame tactics by human rights laws which public bodies are bound by.
In 2003, convicted burglar and car thief Gary Ellis, 29, won a High Court battle to stop Essex police publishing a warning poster of him because it infringed his human rights.
NEWSHAWK: Shadylady 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
SOURCE: Daily Mail
CONTACT: Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, news, sport, showbiz, health, femail, comment | the Daily Mail
COPYRIGHT: Daily Mail
WEBSITE: Drug users to be named and shamed | the Daily Mail
People convicted of possessing illegal substances, including cannabis, will have their photograph posted on a website, published in their local paper and pinned up in Tube stations to deter others from buying drugs.
The move is a direct response to the failings of the liberal drugs policy introduced in Labour-run Lambeth, South London, by the borough's former police chief Brian Paddick.
Officers say Lambeth, which includes Brixton, has turned into a glue-pot for "drugs tourists" who believe they will be treated leniently if caught with banned substances.
The unprecedented "naming and shaming" proposal has been suggested by Lambeth Council's leader Steve Reed and will outrage human rights groups.
But Mr Reed says a public crackdown on those who come to the area to buy drugs is the only way to stop the trade.
Lambeth was the venue for the "softly softly" experiment on cannabis pioneered by Commander Brian Paddick nearly six years ago.
Mr Paddick, who is now a Scotland Yard Deputy Assistant Commissioner, argued that those caught with a small amount of the drug should be warned instead of arrested.
His pilot scheme, introduced in 2001, was widely seen as the trailblazer before the heavily criticised relaxation of the cannabis laws in 2004.
But Mr Reed is angry that Lambeth, and Brixton in particular, has become a honey pot for drug "tourists".
He said the get tough policy would apply to anyone convicted of possessing any illegal drug including cannabis.
"We intend to write to people's employers and publish their names and photographs in their local paper. If we get a few of these individuals and expose them, people will stop coming," he said.
"We're planning to put up a website and publish their names and pictures on that. Posters of them will be put up in train stations. If buyers are coming up the escalator, they will see that poster with the message If you come to Lambeth to buy drugs we will stop you. It is the most draconian approach ever taken by any council ever. The police are 100 per cent behind it."
In the past, forces have in the past been given permission to set up websites for wanted criminals and paedophiles but possession of drugs, especially if a small amount of cannabis, may not be considered sufficiently serious to warrant exposing an offender.
Mr Reed said checks were being carried out on the legality of the proposals but he hoped the scheme would be up and running within a few weeks.
He said: "The drugs policy in Lambeth changed after that Borough Commander left and that was three borough commanders ago.
"In fact, there has not been any kind of toleration since then but the problem is that reputation still exists. We need to be much more draconian about the drugs trade on our streets. If we have a reputation that you can come and buy your drugs here, people we keep coming. So we are going to get tough, naming and shaming people who arrested to stop the flow of people coming to buy here."
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We recognise that there is a problem with drugs tourism in Brixton with people coming from outside the borough to buy drugs.
"We continue to work closely with our partners, including the local authority to tackle drug-related crime.
"A variety of different initiatives are being discussed but it is too early to say if and when any of them will be agreed and adopted."
Last week a Rastafarian temple in the borough, which had been taken over by Jamaican Yardies and turned into a huge drugs den, was raided by armed police and 23 people were arrested.
Three people were charged with conspiracy to supply Class C drugs and further charges are expected.
However the council may be prevented from implementing their name and shame tactics by human rights laws which public bodies are bound by.
In 2003, convicted burglar and car thief Gary Ellis, 29, won a High Court battle to stop Essex police publishing a warning poster of him because it infringed his human rights.
NEWSHAWK: Shadylady 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
SOURCE: Daily Mail
CONTACT: Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, news, sport, showbiz, health, femail, comment | the Daily Mail
COPYRIGHT: Daily Mail
WEBSITE: Drug users to be named and shamed | the Daily Mail
