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| Friend, This week marks one year since Breonna Taylor was killed in her home by police officers during a no-knock raid to pursue evidence of suspected drug crimes that were revealed to have nothing to do with her. The drug war is the primary reason for her tragic death. The drug war made “no-knock” search warrants like the one that brought police to her door legal. And the drug war has enabled the use of many other aggressive and violent policing tactics to harm and claim countless lives, particularly of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people. Learn more about how the drug war caused Breonna Taylor’s death. And take action to ask Congress to end deadly policing practices fueled by the drug war.  Policing is long overdue for a disruption. Modern police forces have not only failed to break from historic roots in racial oppression, they have become more powerful and more lethal in large part due to the drug war. In the pursuit of drugs, police have been given unchecked power to use aggressive tactics, which in too many instances has led to killings. Police have purchased expensive surveillance technologies and military equipment, been tasked with patrolling more spaces such as schools, and been empowered to permanently take property from people with only a suspicion of drug-related conduct. Law enforcement agencies consume vast amounts of government funds, and their bloated budgets have long been justified by statistics padded by drug arrests. Since the declaration of a ‘war on drugs’ fifty years ago, there has been hardly any oversight or accountability for use of police force. But public outrage over the recent deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others have spurred Congress to start scrutinizing deadly policing practices. Thanks to advocates like you, the tide is turning. Although the House of Representatives recently rushed to pass the Justice in Policing Act, it falls short on reforms that will actually save lives. Please take action and tell the Senate to strengthen this bill to end drug-war fueled police militarization. It does not fully address issues like police militarization and quick-knock raids, policing practices that are disproportionately used against people of color in drug investigations. It also continues to over-invest in police departments and the war on drugs, rather than shift resources to education, housing, harm reduction, and other services to keep communities safe. The devastating killings of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and too many others should never have happened and we’ll continue to see even more tragic losses if Congress doesn’t act. Saving lives requires real reform right now: tell your Senators to end deadly policing practices fueled by the drug war. Sincerely, Maritza Perez Director, National Affairs Drug Policy Alliance |
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