Police running DRE Program in Berkeley

For more information regarding Berkeley, and People's Park see articles at: www.Indybay.org/eastbay
There has been tensions in Berkeley, with police seemingly in control in a situation in which drug dealers are in a state of conflict with political activists.

There is strong evidence to suggest the following:

The police, UC and Berkeley have been running DRE training programs, or variations of such programs through the Telegraph Ave and People's Park area, in Berkeley (California).  These programs may have been taking place in Berkeley since the various Occupy protests in Berkeley began.  Along with the purpose of having law enforcement study the effects of drugs, DRE programs can be used for political purposed to destabilize areas of protest.

1: Drug Recognition Evaluation (or sometimes Expert) programs run nation wide, by police and sheriff agencies.  DRE programs involve police officers giving drugs to impoverished or homeless drug users or drug addicts, as to study their effects on users/addicts.

2: Occupy protesters in Minneapolis were able to document a DRE program in which was used an attempt to destabilize their Occupy protest, by luring a constant stream of apolitical, drug-effected, and thus problematic individuals.  Participants in the program whistle-blew on the program in Minneapolis.

3: Since the beginning of the Occupy protests in Berkeley, street youth and adults have had an increased animosity towards community activists in Berkeley. Drug addictive, violent behavior has been a specter over protests in Berkeley, despite police presence.

	A. At the very start of Occupy in Berkeley, a tree sit in People's Park was under regular disruption from drug addicts who in some cases harassed and threatened activists with UC Berkeley police present.  The UC police made wedge issues in the Park, telling drug addicts that they would be left alone, if there wasn't a protest in the park.

	B. Occupy solidified in Civic Center Park, in front of the city of Berkeley police station.  Despite the station being precisely across the street, and in clear view of the camp, open meth use and open drunkenness became a large problem in evenings.  There were regular complaints from neighborhood residents about the drug use and violence which was stemming from addicts who had no clear connection to the Occupy camp.  However the police maintained their focus on political protest at the banks, and allowed drug related issues to develop in the park.  When the camp's reputation and the camp itself became degraded, the city police stepped in during winter holiday and removed the entire camp, citing drug use and violence, even though they were in a position to prevent the problem from getting out of hand in the first place - as they were always right across the street.

	C. Currently on Telegraph Ave and in People's Park, where Occupy related protest migrated back to, a group of drug dealers/addicts have been openly threatening and attempting to physically assault protesters, community activists and cop-watch activists.  These drug dealers/addicts have openly admitted that the police told them that they would be left alone if they were able to discourage the protest related activity on Telegraph and People's Park.  A protester was threatened in People's Park on Tuesday 2.5.2013, with police in clear view of the drug dealers trying to grab and assault the protester.

	D. As well, currently there is a police review commission complaint regarding the improper seizure of legally documented and labeled medicinal marijuana from a user with the proper paperwork.  The officers who are the subjects of the complaint have been seen talking to the drug dealers who are currently causing violence in People's Park.  Citizens who worked on the complaint were threatened by drug dealers/addicts.

Evidence is suggesting that there is a DRE type of program in Berkeley, in which drugs are also being used as a leverage to create tensions and violence between drug dealers/addicts and protesters/activists.  Meanwhile as disruption builds around Berkeley, keeping Occupy protest from solidifying in Berkeley, the police have been largely focusing their resources on non-violent political protest, allowing a general atmosphere of apathetic, anti-social belligerence to build up.

Drug dealing is easy to manipulate due to its illicit nature.  As well, the secretive and illicit nature of drug dealing often creates aggression, physical violence, and distrust in the community.  There needs to be open debate on what should be openly legalized, what should be medically regulated, and what chemicals are too hazardous to be useful for society.  DRE programs should be run by medical and mental health organizations, whose findings can be shared by the police.  Police should have the option of observing DRE programs by health experts, but should never be in the position of running DRE programs themselves.  There is too much chance of abuse of these programs for reasons other than their intended purpose, and can be used for disrupting political protest.