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UK: Police experiment started softer line Philip Johnston The Telegraph Tuesday 23 Oct 2001 LABOUR came to power in 1997 vowing "zero tolerance" towards drugs. For four years, ministers and Keith Hellawell, their drugs "tsar", held the line against the growing clamour for a more liberal policy towards cannabis and other soft drugs. When a Police Foundation inquiry chaired by Dame Ruth Runciman recommended reclassifying cannabis from a Class B drug to Class C, it was given short shrift. Yet David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, did precisely that yesterday and took the first tentative steps towards decriminalising the personal use of cannabis. What changed Labour's mind? The beginnings of a softer line on cannabis can be traced to an experiment in the south London borough of Lambeth this year. Brian Paddick, the local police commander, decided there was no longer any point trying to stop a practice that was now so widespread in an area that includes Brixton. Penalising users was proving a huge drain on police resources at a time when most people wanted more officers on the beat trying to cut the growing number of street robberies and assaults. In an area where gun crime is rife, muggings are the worst in Britain and the crack cocaine trade is flourishing, beat bobbies were tied up for hours a day on trivial cases of cannabis possession. A typical case would take officers off the streets for five hours, cost £10,000 to bring to court and lead to an average fine of £45. Now, instead of arresting users, Lambeth police confiscate the drug and give an on-the-spot warning, which does not lead to a criminal record. Police are no longer required to take offenders to the station, fill in forms for a formal caution or prepare court action. The Brixton experiment is to be evaluated at the end of this year and was expected to be adopted across London. Mr Blunkett's announcement, however, has pre-empted the assessment and will serve as a signal to other forces to adopt a similar line. Labour has always been wary of changing the law but the political background has changed, with support for liberalisation coming from the Right and Left. Last year, the Tories were seen as out of touch when Ann Widdecombe, then shadow home secretary, said anyone caught with cannabis should receive an automatic £100 fine. Other senior Tories, however, detected a change in the social acceptability of the drug, particularly when seven members of the shadow cabinet admitted to having tried it. The editorial policy of The Daily Telegraph has been in favour of a more liberal approach. Sir David Ramsbotham, former chief inspector of prisons, favoured legalisation of some drugs. Opinion polls showed growing support for legalisation and some police were turning a blind eye. It was against this backdrop that Mr Blunkett chose to act. He had already softened the previous tough line during the furore that followed Mr Lilley's comments in July but his announcement to the Commons home affairs committee yesterday was a surprise none the less. Reclassifying cannabis does not make it legal to use. It will remain a crime with a maximum sentence of two years and five years for trafficking. But it will no longer be an arrestable offence to be in possession of the drug and people found with small amounts are unlikely to end up with a criminal record.
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