Gourt Home::Gourt :: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, or LEAP, is an organization comprised of former and current police officers, government agents and other law enforcement agents who oppose the current War on Drugs. When LEAP's speakers entered into a career of law enforcement, they pledged to protect and serve. Realizing that their participation in the War on Drugs undermined the fulfillment of that pledge, the men and women of LEAP have joined forces to take action. It requires integrity, passion and bravery for our speakers to rise above the status quo. LEAP states that the current War on Drugs has created more harm than good, similar to Prohibition, and that the only way to fix the problem is to legalize and regulate all drugs.
The mission of LEAP is to reduce the multitude of harms resulting from fighting the War on Drugs and to lessen the rates of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition. LEAP's goals are: (1) To educate the public, the media and policymakers about the failure of current drug policy by presenting a true picture of the history, causes and effects of drug use and the elevated crime rates more properly related to drug prohibition than to drug pharmacology and (2) To restore the public's respect for law enforcement, which has been greatly diminished by its involvement in imposing drug prohibition. Incorporated on March 16, 2002, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition has grown from five founding police officers to a membership of over 4,500 including over 125 speakers, living in 38 of the United States and in 8 other countries. All LEAP speakers are former drug-warriors; police, parole, probation, and corrections officers, judges, prosecutors, prison wardens, FBI, and DEA agents. LEAP has members and supporters across the United States and in fifty-six other countries. LEAP is a tax exempt, international, nonprofit, educational entity based in the United States that was modeled after "Vietnam Veterans Against the War." These Veterans had an unassailable credibility when speaking out to end that terrible war and LEAP has the same credibility when its former drug-warriors speak out against the horrors of the War on Drugs. LEAP's message demands the attention of the media and resonates with members of law enforcement who question current U.S. drug policies.
LEAP currently has a membership of over 5,000 people. All LEAP speakers are former drug-warriors—police, parole, probation and corrections officers, judges, and prosecutors. Corrections officers, chiefs of police, district attorneys and even FBI and DEA agents make up LEAP's bureau of more than 130 speakers, living in thirty-eight of the United States and in 8 other countries *.
View LEAP's 12 minute promotional DVD at www.leap.cc to gain further insight into the organization's perspective and role in drug reform.
"Anyone concerned about the failure of our $69 billion-a-year War on Drugs should watch this 12-minute program. You will meet front line, ranking police officers who give us a devastating report on why it cannot work. It is a must-see for any journalist or public official dealing with this issue." -- Walter Cronkite
See also
External links
"Law Enforcement Against Prohibition"