NRLEA

Harmful marijuana initiative to be on November ballot?

Posted by NRLEA under Articles, Latest News, NRLEA

SAVECALIFORNIA.COM NEWS RELEASE
January 28, 2010

Defeat of marijuana initiative is Job #1 for pro-child voters
Pro-family organization speaks out as pot initiative backers turn in signatures

Sacramento, California – A leading California pro-family organization is warning voters not to support the marijuana legalization initiative, which today turned in around 700,000 signatures, likely enough to qualify for the November ballot.
 

NRLEA against marijuana legalization in California

“Voters must rise up and defeat this foolish initiative, which, if passed, would irreparably harm the lungs and brains of teenagers and young adults,” said Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com, a statewide pro-family, pro-child organization. “Stopping this harmful marijuana initiative must be Job #1 for every voter who cares about children.”
 
“Four times the strength of marijuana in the late 1970s, today’s pot is more addictive than alcohol, more toxic than cigarettes, and will causing disease, disability and early death in those who regularly smoke it or use it as a gateway drug,” Thomasson said. “Legalizing marijuana means many more DUIs and more Californians dying on the road. It means marijuana can and will be sold in grocery stores, normalizing this unhealthy substance in children’s eyes.”
 
“Good government is supposed to protect the innocent,” Thomasson said. “But legalizing marijuana would victimize people by promoting a bad thing as something good, cause irreversible harm by putting powerful carcinogens and other toxins into their lungs and brains, empower crime organizations that will dominate a much-larger marijuana trade, and deny healthy lives to teenagers who will definitely get their hands on this harmful new marijuana.”
 
“With the proliferation of pot stores throughout the state, Californians now realize they were fooled into approving so-called ‘medicinal marijuana’ on the 1996 ballot,” Thomasson added. “Unless they’re smoking something, voters won’t make that mistake again.”
 
The harms of today’s marijuana is why the federal government has been educating teens about the dangers of marijuana, and is why law enforcement leaders and addiction experts testified against marijuana legalization at a Jan. 12, 2010 legislative hearing in Sacramento.
 
In December, a nationwide study of teen substance abuse from the University of Michigan reported that youth marijuana use increased last year, despite a nationwide prohibition. The study found 27 percent of 10th graders and a full third of 12th graders had used marijuana.
 
Comparatively, the rates for having had any alcohol to drink in the past 30 days are 15 percent, 30 percent and 44 percent in 8th, 10th and 12th grade. When asked how easy it would be to get alcohol if they wanted some, the majority of students in all three grades said it would be “fairly easy” or “very easy.”
 
“The facts show that legalizing marijuana for adults will significantly increase marijuana smoking by teenagers,” said Thomasson. “If something is legal for adults, children can and will get their hands on it. Some very selfish adults are leading young people astray.”
 
“So-called medicinal marijuana was a hoax designed to fool the public into full legalization,” Thomasson said. “Before Prop. 215 passed, patients could receive, and can still get today, prescriptions of Marinol, derived from marijuana without all the toxins and carcinogens, from bona fide physicians. This renders marijuana dispensaries completely unnecessary for those who ignorantly or deceptively claim they need it.”
 
Other states and nations demonstrate the harm done by marijuana legalization:
 
Alaska: After the Alaska Supreme Court legalized marijuana in 1975, teen marijuana use jumped to 51%. According to a 1988 University of Alaska study, the state’s 12 to 17-year-olds used marijuana at more than twice the national average for their age group. This clear harm motivated Alaska voters to recriminalize marijuana in 1990.
 
The Netherlands: From 1984 to 1996, the Dutch liberalized the use of cannabis. Surveys reveal that lifetime prevalence of cannabis in Holland increased consistently and sharply. For the age group 18-20, the increase is from 15 percent in 1984 to 44 percent in 1996. When law enforcement officially turned a blind eye to marijuana, there were three criminal organizations in Amsterdam. Despite marijuana “regulation” in 1996, today there are many more criminal organizations in the city than before legalization.
 
California’s failed experiment with so-called “medicinal marijuana” in 1996 has resulted today in the half-legalization of marijuana, where most adults and even minors can buy and smoke pot. “In Los Angeles County there are more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks,” said Assemblyman Curt Hagman, a Chino Hills Republican and vice-chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
 
Background from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Legalization of drugs leads to increased use and increased addiction »
“Medical” marijuana facts »

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SaveCalifornia.com is a leading West Coast nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing children and families. We stand for marriage and family, parental rights, the sanctity of human life, religious freedom, financial freedom, and back-to-basics education.

California State Assembly PSC Passes Measure to Legalize Marijuana

Posted by NRLEA under Latest News, NRLEA

The State of California Public Safety Committee narrowly passes the bill to legalize marijuana similar to cigarettes and alcohol. 

This bill is bad for everyone, it would allow anyone to smoke the marijuana just like cigarettes and the cash-strapped State of California legislator are digging themselves deeper and deeper by trying to justify the means to make it legal so they can tax themselves out of debt.

We say, “stop smoking it”!  It appears that the State legislator is smoking it while in session because the bill is filled with bad language that will cause law enforcement more grief.

“Don’t we have enough trouble with legal drugs and mind-altering substances, as well as the health and public safety impacts of alcohol and tobacco?” Susan Manheimer from the San Mateo Police Chief or CA Police Chiefs Association said.

“It legitimizes the quest for debate, the quest for for discussion. There was a time when the ‘M-word’ would never have been brought up in Sacramento,” Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, said.

Governor Schwarzenegger stands by the current law allowing those with a medical purpose to have it, but does not support this bill.

“It’s far better for the Legislature to get ahead of it and respond to voter concerns, but be able to do so if there’s flaws, we can adjust it,” Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, said.

The  NRLEA does not support this bill and advises California law enforcement to stand together against this terrible bill.

HR3962 – The NRLEA Membership Has Said ‘NO’ To This Bad Bill

Posted by NRLEA under Latest News, NRLEA

The National Rural Law Enforcement Association and all its members has significantly voted NO to this bad health-care bill from Nancy Pelosi and those who sponsor it.  It is bad for America and bad for business and will hurt all Americans who are struggling with money issues, mortgages and making payments let alone having a new tax forced upon them.

Furthermore, most agencies have spoken and said they will not support an unconstitutional law and/or assist in arresting those in violation of any failure to pay taxes or fines on it if they can’t afford it.

We encourage all those who are on the fence on this terrible bill to vote ‘NO’.

NRLEA Announces Limited Grant Funded For Online Reporting

Posted by NRLEA under Latest News, NRLEA

Today the NRLEA and with several other members have announced a limited time and limited amount of grants funded directly for agencies that wish to use a citizens online reporting for their communities.

The grant is for the BobCOP Online Reports Only system.  This system will allow any police agency the capability to add a state-of-the-art sophisticated online reporting system to their current website or other and can start accepting reports immediately. 

All grants are on a first come, first served basis and all interested agencies need to visit www.bobcop.com for further details or just register online at BobCOP.  Amount is 50% of current price.

Announcement: Grant Fund Will Soon End

Posted by NRLEA under Latest News, NRLEA

BobCOP, LLC, The Elkan Group, LLC  and the NRLEA and others involved in the Grant Fund for law enforcement have announced the money will soon be deferred to other areas of greater need and importance  and the opportunity for agencies to purchase the BobCOP Systems at a very low price that is guaranteed by the grant fund to purchase the bulk of the cost will soon end.

Agencies have been slow to act and re-act to the offers since last March and many attribute their issues with their current budgets and time table to for the new year starting July 1.  However, the lack of movement and idleness will cause this to end sooner than later. 

“Either the police chiefs want to take advantage of a community policing tool that no one else offers and has been perfected by BobCOP or they just don’t see the advantage of having any system to help save them time and money for their city,” says Steve Adams, Executive Administrator (NRLEA).

“Over ten million dollars has been set aside for this project and its a shame that agencies are not responding,” says Anderson.  The lack of interest of providing funding for this project is very weak and will cost agencies more money in the long-run for them to perform duties that could be completed online.  One agency already lost bullet proof vests due to their hurry-up-and-wait attitude and city council to get things ‘approved’.  It went to an agency that faxed a letter within 10 minutes with their city managers signature on it. 

It is average that over 90% of law enforcement agencies nationwide do not respond to money that is out there for them.  Why is this?

Welcome to the NRLEA

Posted by NRLEA under NRLEA

Welcome to the National Rural Law Enforcement Association!  The United States has over 17,000 rural law enforcement agencies. The fact is most are not represented by organizations or associations that have the ambitions and determination to see these agencies succeed.

Technology is a reality and the reality is there isn’t enough important information that is vital in assisting how to get a rural agency into the 21rst century. Most agencies have no one to turn to for help. Most do not have the money. Most do not have the resources available to them in order to find money be it grants, private funding, association or organization private grants or business sponsorships.

This is where the NRLEA come in. Our goal is to assist law enforcement, period. Government grants and/or resources are not the only way to go. It’s unreliable and it’s not the only way. Who do you turn to when you need help? We’re going to give it our best for our members so we can direct you in the right direction with a representative that will give you the information you need with private grants, businesses and sponsors who are directly involved in providing exactly what you need at a better cost and implementation.

The NRLEA will provide your agency with basic information that can be reviewed on this website. If you wish to have our personal one-on-one care you must become a member. Membership has its privileges and that’s the only way.

If you are a business or private entity that provides products and/or services for law enforcement agencies, please feel free to contact us regarding your services. You can post your information on this website or you can provide a more direct service by allowing us to work with you in providing our law enforcement members a special relationship with you.

While our website is going through a restructuring and change we apologize for any inconveniences this might have on your experience. 

Join our LinkedIn NRLEA Group. 

We are currently looking for new writers for this site.  If you have a law enforcement background or similar experience in law or academics, we would like to hear from you.