Officers face loss of jobs for advocating legalization of drugs

A recent New York Times article portrays the phenomenon of law enforcement personnel losing their jobs and promotion opportunities because they believe that drugs—especially marijuana—should be decriminalized. It appears that in making such political stands it is important for officers to avoid violating departmental policies on other grounds. For example, an officer so inclined must not falsely deny his beliefs or public legalization associations if questioned by superiors, or he may face discipline for lack of honesty. Furthermore, if an officer identifies himself as an officer in his capacity as a member for any group advocating for decriminalization, it may be important that he issue a disclaimer that his position as an officer has no bearing on his membership, and vice versa. Below is the link to the article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/us/officers-punished-for-supporting-eased-drug-laws.html?_r=1&ref=americas