GOING AFTER POT WASTES COPS' TIME

As a retired police detective, I heartily agree with Katherine
Heerbrandt's Feb. 9 column, "Smoke signals." During my 18 years of
service, I was sent to zero calls generated by the use of marijuana.
Its prohibition caused several shootings, as dealers shot other
dealers for the money and the green stuff. I never handled a call
where a beer distributor had a gunfight with a whiskey salesman.

The only aspect that was not mentioned was the tremendous reduction in
public safety. As officers and deputies in Frederick spend thousands
of hours finding and arresting for marijuana, they have less time for
the deadly DUI, child predators and other public safety threats.

If you have a drug problem one day, see a doctor. The police have much
more important tasks.

Howard J Wooldridge

Frederick