I really appreciate President Trump’s attempt at stopping crime. To me, it is certainly one of my highest priorities for governments at every level.

However, as with most, I think he is overlooking the drug elements. Just ask any street-wise cop, as I have done at every opportunity. Just ask the experienced district attorneys and prosecutors. They will almost totally agree with me that half of all crime is drug-related. It just is, as near as I can tell, no one has collected the stats to back up what I am saying. A shame.

It begs the questions, how many robbery oriented crimes start with the desire for drugs, including alcohol. How many killings start with something drug oriented, including the above mentioned robberies mentioned above. How much of the cartel activity is drug related, perhaps 90%, at least 80%. Do away with drug abuse, and the cartels would have to declare ‘bankruptcy.’

How-some-ever, drug abuse does not only directly or indirectly only the crime levels. You might want to ask emergency room and ambulance personal how many they see because of drug abuse. You might want to ask those who deal people in rehab centers. To be sure, without drug abuse, they would be out of a job.

A significant decline in drug-related offenses could lead to a substantial reduction in the workload for law enforcement, legal professionals, and judicial systems. When I shared this perspective with an assistant district attorney, his response was a wistful, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful?”