The drug-bust double standard

For another installment in my “biased media” occasional series (God, that sounds so self-important), let’s talk about drug busts.

As everyone in the state of California, and possibly in the United States, has no doubt heard, over 75 students and 128 people total were netted in a drug sting by the DEA at, of all places, San Diego State University. This is apparently big news because, as everyone knows, college students don’t do drugs. (I can’t even keep a straight face typing that. Is the pervasiveness of drug culture on college campuses really news? Really?)

What has bothered me about these stories, though, is the way in which these students are being written about and spoken about. Let’s compare.

University President Stephen Weber defended the decision to bring federal authorities onto campus.

“Some have asked what we think this publicity has done for SDSU’s reputation. I have told them I am proud of the action taken by SDSU to proactively address this serious threat to our students,” Weber said in a statement Wednesday. “As a parent I would want my son or daughter to attend a university committed to providing the safest possible environment.” [Source]

Can you imagine the mayors of San Jose, Oakland, or Los Angeles defending drug busts in their city? Or even having to?

In July of 2005, “Operation Falling Star” led to one of the biggest drug busts in the state of Michigan, and allegedly helped to put a dent in the operations of a major international drug cartel.

Authorities say the bust would not have occurred were it not for massive amounts of cooperation from local, state and federal officials. Many officials are acknowledging that the bust is one of the largest ever in Michigan and likely one of the largest in the country.

“This indictment … is a showcase demonstration of cooperation,” Murphy said. [Source]

Hmm, not only was there no need for authorities to defend their actions, the bust was a “showcase” operation. I wonder what the difference was?

Authorities say the cartel, which has been in operation since at least 1994, was led by Detroiter Quasand Daniell Lewis, 35.

… Nah. Must just be a coincidence. I’m sure other drug bust operations have been forced to defend their actions, right? Like this one in October of 2007 in Oakland.

The ring had the capacity to distribute between to 50 and 100 pounds of tar heroin a month, police said.

“They were violent, moving lots and lots of heroin,” Pena said. “Today is a good day.”

U.S. Attorney Scott Schools agreed, saying the suspects wreaked havoc and “created disorder for their own purposes.” Six other suspects are being sought, Schools said. [Source]

Huh. Weird.

Federal and law enforcement officials targeting a violent Mexican heroin drug ring …

Oh. Well, both of these rings were tied to deaths. Maybe this SDSU drug ring — because it really was an organized ring, not just a handful of kids being stupid, as the media has implied — maybe they aren’t connected to any deaths.

Campus police started the probe a year ago after the cocaine overdose death of a freshman sorority member, but they soon called in federal agents to provide fresh faces on campus and supply the money needed to make drug buys. [Source]

Well, then. Maybe the president of the university was overreacting. A drug ring that had permeated campus and led to the death of at least one student surely must have angered parents, right?

Parents joined students at a campus rally Wednesday calling for more drug-abuse treatment instead of tougher enforcement.
“This heavy hand coming down is not going to change drug use on campus,” said Gretchen Burns-Bergman, whose son is a month away from graduating. “There’s not going to be a shortage of drugs on campus.” [Source]

So wait a minute. If some nice, wealthy (and don’t tell me they weren’t — you generally have to have money to join a frat) college students are moving thousands of dollars of cocaine, meth, whatever every day, the proper response is to create a “Good Samaritan” policy to report overdoses rather than cracking down? (Because “cracking down” by suspending six fraternities and arresting some students who have probably made bail already is heavy handed, apparently.)

But when it’s a drug ring made up of people of color living in poor areas like the “inner city,” then arrest away, and good job, coppers, for making the world safe for drug-free democracy? Let’s ask the San Jose Police Department, that bastion of impartiality.

The operation, allegedly run by Antonio Barka, is one of the larger drug operations dismantled in the San Jose area [in December of 2007]. Federal investigators, working with local law enforcement, determined Barka’s operation was connected to other drug rings in San Diego and Atlanta, Georgia.

”This was very much a successful operation,” said Doug James, agent in charge at the Drug Enforcement Agency in San Jose. “I believe that the seizure of this quantity of drugs, will have a positive impact on the community of San Jose.” [Source]

Business as usual then, I guess.

EDIT: My point being, whenever there’s coverage of a major drug bust where the suspects are poor or people of color or otherwise marginalized, the press falls over itself to produce glowing stories full of inspiring quotes that show the police in the best possible light. Whenever it’s a college or, worse still, a majority-white, well-off high school, those same reporters fill their stories with quotes from angry parents, “innocent” students who don’t understand how the police could just waltz in and do their job, and nary a quote about how this is keeping students safer in sight.

Have some journalistic ethics, people. Doesn’t J-school teach reporters to at least pretend to be unbiased anymore?