Former PANO head says drug education will stop violence

14th November 2011   ·   0 Comments

By Christopher Tidmore
Contributing Writer

In the wake of two French Quarter murders two weeks ago that refocused the attention of New Orleanians on the spiraling levels of violence in our community, the founding President of PANO and former Louisiana Pardon Board Chairman renewed his calls for Mandatory Narcotics education from kindergarten through the 12th grade.

“The reason for the murders boils down to illegal narcotics,” Irv Magri, current president of Crimefighters, Louisiana’s Largest Victim’s Rights Organi­zation, told The Louisiana Weekly. “The violence comes over control of the territory, and profits, from the sale of illegal drugs. Until we teach our children — every year — the impact of illegal narcotics, murders like we saw on Halloween will continue.”

“In 1968 and 1969 after my undercover [police] role was completed in the Orleans Parish School System, I called for mandatory narcotics education, K-12,” Magri continued, “I was told that ‘We don’t need to educate little Johnny and little Sue’ on the evils of narcotics because we would be exposing them to the possible usage of such drugs as marijuana. Nothing could have been further from the truth and, of course, my ideas and well intended suggestions were rejected 42 years ago. Now on the streets of the French Quarter, and in countless other neighborhoods, we have seen the results of doing nothing.”

Magri seeks to change that educational inaction. Calling programs like D.A.R.E. insufficient to teach the dangers of drugs and the violence caused by illegal narcotics, the former PANO President formally requested on November 9, 2011 that the Orleans School System formally adopt real narcotics education taught by volunteer police and criminal justice professionals.

In a letter to Dr. Darryl C. Kilbert, Superintendent of Orleans Parish School Board Central Offices (that was copied to Charter School principals across the city), Magri wrote, “As I am sure you fully understand given your position in the Orleans Parish School System and your advanced educational degrees, illegal narcotics and more specifically marijuana, hashish, amphetamines, barbiturates, crystal meth, powder cocaine, crack cocaine, hallucinogenics and heroine, as well as other illegal narcotics are wreaking havoc in Orleans Parish, in all other 63 parishes in Louisiana and throughout the United States of America.”

“While I fully understand as an ex­tremely experienced law en­forcement officer for the past 47 years that I cannot address the entire narcotic problem in the United States of America, I can address it in the Parish of Orleans where I was raised, attended public schools until I attended and graduated from Loyola University of the South, and also worked undercover in both John F. Kennedy and Alcee Fortier high schools.”

“When I served as Chairman of the Louisiana Pardon Board which had jurisdiction in all 64 parishes regarding commutation of sentences, clemency, making individuals possibly parole eligible, etc. I had many Department of Correction inmates tell me at the Pardon Board Courtroom or the various DOC institutions we visited throughout the State of Louisiana that they did not realize that there were ‘gateway’ drugs that led to more serious narcotics and led directly to their addictions. Nothing is sadder than to see a youthful life wasted in the area of illegal narcotics.”

“While I am certainly not so naive after 47 years plus of law enforcement experience to believe all of these inmates, nevertheless, we would take away the ‘excuses’ of these individuals and in some cases actually educate students to the evils of narcotic addiction and narcotic usage.”

“No rational, intelligent resident of Orleans Parish or the surrounding metropolitan area has to be told that there is a severe narcotic problem in the great city of New Orleans which is so rich in history, culture and attractions. However, the tremendous violent crime problem is extremely obvious to any individual that reads the daily newspaper, watches the news on our various television channels or listens to the radio. New Orleans currently leads the nation, once again, in homicides per capita (per 100,000) in the United States of American—which is unfortunate and an absolute horrible statistic to say the least. We have had numerous armed robberies, numerous carjackings, some horrific “home invasions” (which really are aggravated burglary and aggravated kidnapping).”

“Mr. Superintendent, what I am respectfully but strongly recommending as an experienced career law enforcement supervisor and criminologist with nearly one-half (1/2) century of experience as a ‘street cop’ and the former Chairman of the Louisiana Pardon Board and Member of the Louisiana Parole Board and radio show host for over 44 years, is mandatory narcotic education from K -12.”

“We must at least attempt to warn our young children, adolescents and young adults to the absolute pitfalls and evils of being addicted to narcotics—which fuels a great deal of crime in the Metropolitan New Orleans area. Make no mistake about it, I will in the near future, be recommending mandatory narcotic education for several of the surrounding parishes, along with Orleans Parish.”

“I sincerely love the City of New Orleans, which used to be referred to as the ‘Queen City of the South’ and know her tremendous potential in both tourism and as a place to live. However, I would be remiss as the state president of crimefighters if I did not urge you to seriously explore the possibility of mandatory narcotic education so that no child would be left behind in this educational process.”

This article was originally published in the November 14, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper