Ryan's Gloom Over Drugs

POLICE Commissioner Peter Ryan has admitted the State's law enforcement officers are are not winning the war against drugs.

In an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper in London, Mr Ryan said drugs remained at the root of most crime in NSW. (In fact it's drug PROHIBITION that is the root of most crime.)

"No, we are not winning on the drugs front," he told the newspaper.

Mr Ryan's office claimed yesterday the comments were not new but they drew an imediate response from Premier Bob Carr, who called for greater community support in the war against drugs.

Mr Carr said the fight against drugs could only be won with the involvement of all members of the community. (This is pure dreaming on Premier Carr's behalf as about three-quarters of Australians support decriminalising possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. In other words, this "fight" can never be won.)

"The war against drugs involves more than the police in the front line," Mr Carr said. (He's got that right, they are called "victims of crime".)

"It involves every family, every school, sporting club in this state."

"I would appeal to the community to make it a war we can win by making it their battle.

"I am sure that is what Peter Ryan was trying to communicate."

Despite the seizure of almost 400kg of heroin in October last year on the NSW mid north coast, police admit they are battling to stop large quantities of hard drugs hitting the streets.

Mr Ryan's spokesman said there has been a surge in heroin availability in the last couple of years, cocaine purity had increased, and the street value of drugs had dropped.

But it would be wrong to suggest that Mr Ryan believed the war on drugs was being lost. (Yeah, sure.)

"He did not say we are losing the war on drugs," he said. (When I went to school, "not winning" means in fact LOSING. I guess they teach thing differently in Bob's school!)

"There are three things that can happen - you're either winning the war, you're keeping up, or you're losing. I don't think he's suggesting we're losing. That line was never said by the Commissioner."

The spokesman said Mr Ryan had explained to the Daily Mall sports columnist Ian Wooldridge that Sydney had a bad drug problem, but it was no different to any other big city's problem.

However Opposition Police spokesman Andrew Tink said Mr Ryan's comments had to be acted upon immediately by the Government.

He said the key problem in the fight against drugs was that the number of police acting full time on the problem had been cut from 300 to 50 by the Carr Government.

"To have 50 police solely dedicated to tackling the drug problem is not enough," Mr Tink said.

"This is a manpower issue that the Government has got to address. Without a higher level of resources directed at tracking down major dealers you are not going to make progress."