A Police Officer's Perspective on Drug Prohibition w/ Maj. Michael Hilliard

Michael Hilliard began his 27-year policing career in 1975 as a patrolman in an economically depressed neighborhood in East Baltimore. He served as an internal affairs detective where he coordinated Baltimore youth programs and led an undercover squad that investigated violent crimes and low-to mid-level drug crimes.

He is on the show as a representative of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, or LEAP. They are a nonprofit organization "composed of police and other criminal justice professionals dedicated to educating the public about the harms of drug prohibition", advocating "for solutions across a broader range of drug policy and criminal justice issues"[source]. LEAP wants to end the war on drugs, and Maj. Michael Hilliard is on the show to talk about why.

During the interview, we speak on more than just the issues around drug policy, prohibition, and what brought Maj. Hilliard to his current advocacy against the drug war. We also speak of the problematic image police represent as agents of said drug policy, as well as issues of abuse of power, following unethical orders, and being seen as predators by the people they have sworn to protect.

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See the full show notes and my blog entry on this episode: http://bit.ly/ATTMind64

 

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Episode Breakdown

• Why Hilliard became a police officer.
• How he went from leading investigations against drug crimes to lobbying against drug prohibition.
• The impact of the drug war on crime, communities, and public safety in general.
• Why we should to legalize, regulate, and control drugs.
• Losing friends to the drug war.
• Problems with law enforcement's current mentality towards drugs.
• The drug war's role in worsening the opioid crisis.
• The police cultures' perception of the drug culture and where it differs from the truth.
• A police officer's experience 'busting' someone for possession.
• The issue of police misuse of power.
• Police community cover-ups and crooked cops.
• Ethical responsibility when faced with unethical orders.

 

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