University of Virginia Library

Obenshain Offers Plan
For Drug Crackdown

By Tom Adams
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The Republican candidate for attorney
general presented a three-stage program for
training Virginia policemen to handle the
"detection and prevention of drug violations"
in a speech before the fall campaign workshop
of the state Young Republicans Saturday.

In both his keynote address to the Young
Republican workshop and at the opening of
Norfolk Republican headquarters Saturday,
Richard D. Obenshain said that the proposal is
the result of a meeting with the director of the
Federal Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous
Drugs, in which he discussed with the director
"the critical need for more effective training for
local officers in the field of drug law
enforcement."

Mr. Obenshain proposed:

— That Virginia immediately take "maximum
advantage" of the Federal Bureau of
Narcotics' training for local and state police
officers before the drug problem" reaches crisis
proportions in Virginia;"

— The assembling of a team of experienced
narcotics experts to provide comprehensive
courses on narcotics law enforcement at
Virginia community colleges;

The creation of a statewide policy
academy with permanent staff and facilities.

The academy, Mr. Obenshain said, could
provide basic instruction in drug investigation
and detection for all new policemen and
sheriffs in Virginia.

"Instead of reacting after the drug invasion
has struck new communities in Virginia," Mr.
Obenshain said, "we must prepare our police
and sheriff's' departments to recognize and
attack this problem the moment it appears."

Mr. Obenshain was asked by a student
whether he considered the current drug laws
unnecessarily harsh. The candidate for attorney
general replied that current scientific studies of
the week "raise a doubt in my mind whether
bars to marijuana should be done away with."

Mr. Obenshain added that he expected a
revision in the current drug laws within "two to
four years."

In response to a question about voting for
eighteen-years olds, Mr. Obenshain said that he
thought it would be many years before the
legislature would consider it again after the
Constitutional revision of last year. He blamed
the "Democratic majority" in the legislature for
failing to act on it despite the "eloquent"
presentation by youth representatives.

Mr. Obenshain noted in his speech that
Democratic gubernatorial candidate William C.
Battle's protests against remarks by Vice-President
Spiro T. Agnew at a Republican
$100-a-plate dinner in Richmond were the
"first evidences of trying to reach for the panel
button."

Following his speech, Mr. Obenshain left for
Farmville, to campaign at the Hampden-Sydney
football game.