Friday, August 17, 2007
Imagine, if you will, the next time you’re driving down Iowa and you see an all-black Cadillac Escalade, on black 24-inch rims, with dark, limo-tinted windows. Now, that doesn’t seem to appear that out of the ordinary, especially in a college town with a lot of wealthy kids. But let’s put a spin on that. As the Escalade drives away, the back window displays this writing in big, bold white letters: “This Used To Be A Drug Dealer’s Car, Now It’s Ours... Lawrence Police.” Seem hard to imagine? Well, it shouldn’t be. Government agencies across the country have been implementing like programs in cities such as Tulsa, Okla., where a similar white Escalade displayed the writing courtesy of the Tulsa Police Department. Next time you’re in Tulsa and you almost break your neck trying to see who’s in that shiny, brand new tricked out SUV, be aware that it could be a cop, with a drug dealer’s ride.
When someone is arrested on drug-related charges, all possessions that have been purchased with the help of the profits received from selling illegal drugs are awarded as possessions to the city by the courts. These items are then sold or auctioned off with the proceeds going to the city or the state. However, in the case of the Tulsa Police Department, for the past few years they have been taking these drug dealers’ vehicles and placing decals on them, so they appear like police cars. Several of the vehicles that are confiscated have also been and continue to be used as undercover vehicles.
nutgraf
What honest businessman wants to get a nice, family-sized SUV that has now been associated with dealing drugs? People won’t be able to tell if he’s driving down the road in his own honest, earned and purchased vehicle or whether he’s a cop or even a drug dealer.
According to officials, the motivation behind this is to send the message that using and selling drugs is not profitable. Our concern is the fact that this tactic doesn’t seem to be reducing the illegal drug market. While an obvious statement, confiscation remains just that: a statement. We’re curious to see if this will have any long-term effects, or if it’s just for show.
What we are left with are cops riding in luxury, parading and flaunting the fact that they’re sitting in a car that was bought with dope money. Yes, we get the message: the only ones who profits from the selling of drugs are the cops, and the ones who suffer are the car companies.
The cars dealers’ image is now associated with crime. What honest businessman wants to get a nice, family-sized SUV that has now been associated with dealing drugs? People won’t be able to tell if he’s driving down the road in his own honest, earned and purchased vehicle or whether he’s a cop or even a drug dealer. Whether or not Lawrence will follow the trend, we’re not sure. No one at the Lawrence Police Department was available to comment on the matter at the time.
Either way, if they do team up with the other agencies and departments that are doing this, having a nice ride is not going to mean the same thing anymore. Whether you’re a grown man or a young co-ed driving the car your parents bought you, people will be looking at the back window of every clean vehicle that passes by, wondering: drug dealer or cop?
Ford plans the end of the Crown ...
Many police departments will choose a new car once the dominant model ...
Geared for change
Subversive cyclists want a piece of the street and to change your ...
Grand Theft Auto: Lawrence, Kansas
So far this year, 86 cars have been stolen in Lawrence. In ...
Sacred Journey hits another bump in the ...
The store was raided last week. This time officials were after a ...
Car rental service has a promising start
A new car rental service provides more transportation options to students, faculty ...
Police still seeking SUV
The driver and car that crashed into Louise’s West on Sunday are ...
Life after drunken driving: fines, counseling and ...
In Lawrence 83 KU students recieved OUIs (operating the influence) in 2005. ...
Wrecking Your Ride
After recovering from the initial shock of crashing your car, what do ...
Mangiaracina: Are bicycles the same as all ...
Two KU students suspected in Louise's crash
Police said alcohol was likely involved in the incident.
Chen: Green my guy
Is the status of driving an SUV more important than worrying about ...
Essential life skills: Dealing with the police ...
In case of emergency, read quickly.
KUPD works with other jurisdictions
In the middle of a city's jurisdiction, KUPD maintains its own police ...
Lawrence police officers help with a variety ...
A Kansan reporter rides along with local policemen to find what it’s ...
Better safe than sorry
SafeRide and SafeBus provide an often-unappreciated service to students.
Kansas State fan bus driver improperly licensed ...
The driver of the Cat Tracker fan bus did not have the ...
Osborne: How to get out of a ...
Here's what to do if you're caught.
Fans stop traffic, streak while celebrating
Jayhawk fans who stormed Massachusetts Street after Kansas' victory had mixed reviews ...
Lysen: Cliched television dramas meet their match
Comedian Paul Scheer's new show mocks the conventions of cop dramas and ...
Committee works to make bicycling safer in ...
Possible grant money will expand Lawrence bike lane network, increase safety for ...
Police patrol checkpoints for drunk drivers
KU Bus hits SUV
KU on Wheels bus, SUV damaged in collision, no injuries reported.
Ghost world
As winter approaches, downtown Lawrence’s sizeable homeless population must deal with crowded ...
Free For All: Sept. 20, 2007
Finally, someone else realizes that Crocs are the root of all evil.
Underage drinking easy for many students
Sherrif’s office says it will hire more officers to enforce laws at ...
Window tinting may not be as legal ...
Letter: I was fined for riding a ...
Police ride-along proves interesting experience
Chambers, officer were on duty when a McCollum resident reportedly overdosed on ...
Locals recognize cycling issues
Although residents say Lawrence is generally a safe place to cycle, there ...
Jayhawk helps Public Safety Office gain recognition
University student arrested after crashing car into ...
The suspect was arrested and bond was set at $500.
Brown: If we lose the T, could ...
Stop signs befuddle cyclists
Bike riders on campus find themselves getting ticketed for not obeying stop ...
Making the rounds with KU Public Safety
For officer Robert Blevins, patrolling campus means making a difference at KU.
The (greasy, smoky, lonely) World of Truckers
Debate over marijuana tries to clear the ...
Four hundred and forty people attend SUA’s debate between the editor-in-chief of ...
New KU police cars feature student designs
The officers hope the new design will increase their visibility on campus.
RC Cars hold design for efficient vehicles.
Engineering students use hydrogen fuel cells and solar power to drive environmentally ...
SUV crashes into Louise's West
Bar closed for a week to fix extensive damage.
Cops stayed cool when downtown got hot ...
Lawrence police maintained order downtown as fans got rowdy after Monday night's ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID