The Daily Illini
URL: http://www.dailyillini.com/index.php/blog/different_perspectives/2009/05/operation_pot_points_drug_dealers_must_get_stoned
Current Date: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:44:23 -0600
Operation Pot Points: Drug dealers must get stoned
Marijuana confiscated in Penitas, Texas, had an interesting message written on some of the packages: "Obama-USA."
Not so fast reader/narc, you'll have to roll back Operation Thunder Thighs for a moment here. The idea that Obama had drugs shipped to him from Mexico, with his name written on them, is flimsy. Sure, he inhaled in the past, but that's not the point.
The Penitas police chief believes that the dealers are "trying to mock the president's effort to fight drugs." It makes you wonder how certain drug dealers may try to mock University police.
If you've haven't been in a finals and Red Bull-induced coma for the last few weeks, you've probably heard of "Operation Thunder Strike."
This was the name given to the mass arrests last week that were a result of an eight-month undercover investigation cracking down on the "Mary Jane" or whatever you kids call it, and other drugs.
There were 25 people arrested, 21 of whom were students at the University. The charges covered everything from misdemeanor cannabis possessions to felony charges for the alleged sale of controlled substances.
University police nabbed 180 grams of cannabis, drug paraphernalia, "cocaine residue, Xanax pills ... $3,100 cash, two vehicles, three flat-screen televisions and two laptops," according to a report in The Daily Illini.
Police said that they wouldn't stand by idly while drugs are being trafficked on this campus. According to them, it's "contrary to what the mission of what the academic institution is."
That's true.
And now that the department has finished the operation, the new information may lead to putting the kibosh on the campus drug trade.
Not so true.
It was reported that the police would not address rumors about the undercover operation, such as whether officers were stealthily going around campus as delivery men. But it was confirmed that undercover tactics were used.
I'm going on a limb here, but this may have something to do with the random 217 area code text messages that certain people, including myself, received earlier this semester. The texts in question said that the sender had some "flame a** bud, the best on campus" and asked whether I or any of my friends needed any.
This is not an argument about whether pot should be legalized or a comparison of the effects of pot smoking and alcohol. The question is whether these drug raids will change anything. I mean, it was a two-semester operation, the drug kingpins everywhere should be quaking in fear, right?
If you ask any student on campus, chances are that they'll agree that in fewer than three phone calls people can obtain marijuana. And it's common knowledge that certain smells emanate from certain rooms in certain apartment buildings on a regular basis, certain incriminating photographs exist on Facebook, certain statuses and even wall posts blatantly discuss certain illegal activities. What about the certain campus residence halls known for being a haven for drug dealing and use?
If officials really wanted to eliminate the use of drugs like pot on campus, the red flags are waving wildly and there are people out there ready to become narcs and rat out those who are high.
But then again, we're simultaneously waging a war against the rampant spread of underage drinking, and police officers are scouring the neighborhoods looking for young kids who may be tipsy. Yet still, the giant red X on Green Street and the 10-plus bars on campus fail to garner attention.
University police have said that they've made their "point," and that point is that there's a zero-tolerance policy for drug dealing on campus.
Zero-tolerance for drug dealing. Maybe someone's missing the point.
Sujay is a senior in biochemistry.
About Different Perspectives
On a college campus of 40,000 unique individuals, opinions differ on every subject. The Daily Illini strives to encourage a wide-range of thoughts and ideas that harnesses the diversity of the University. Enter Different Perspective, a blog that captures the differing thoughts on campus through a hand-selected group of talented writers with strong opinions from all sides of the spectrum. On it you’ll find both lengthy, thoughtful pieces and random musings, as well as other topics that spark debate. And if you don’t agree, just comment back. Speak up UI. We know we will.
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Reader Comments
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I'm not in the crime-fighting business, but I suspect any Chicago or even north Champaign narcotics detective would have a field day hunting dealers on the U of I campus. They'd probably notch so many arrests they'd have a statue built for them outside city hall and go down as a modern day Wyatt Earp. I'm carried away but the point is that between the telltale smells and the fact that most college students are anything but hardened criminals a detective working 40 hours a week could bring the whole drug operation to a crashing halt campus wide. Heck, slap a badge on me Chicken Little and I could make 99 percent of students sing like canaries by threatening to kick them out of school or tell their parents if they don't tell you where and how they got their weed. The university police know this too. They've apparently just decided that booze is more deserving of attention than pot, and I have to say I agree with them unless the dealing graduates into something worse. Yeah its contrary to what they said after the arrest. But those are just words.
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So, the cops bust what was it, 27 students? It seems that those students are going to be thrown out or suspended for two years, might possibly get felony convictions, and their lives are ruined for ever. So, where do we stand now?
I'm working on a finals paper right now in my building. It is 4 am and I decided to do my own research project. How many people in my building are using pot...right now. Just on my floor alone I could smell pot escaping from about 1/2 of the rooms.
I don't know, the cops said they were trying to send a message. Well, it didn't work. You got less than a half pound of pot. There's probably 5 pounds of pot smoked per hour on this campus.
Nab some guy who has ounces of coke and a garage full of pot and we might just start taking you seriously.
Until then, sorry guys. You may have impressed yourselves, but you didn't impress us. Message not heard.
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