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The following program is produced as a public service feature by the radio division of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. With cooperation from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and the Illinois Division of Narcotic Control, we present H is for joy. The New York City, a fascinating, captivating metropolis, throbbing with a pulse of millions, a city that never really sleeps, a city that houses rich people, poor people, and drug addicts, some 20,000 of them.
To say that drug addiction presents no problem to New York City is ridiculous. It's recognized to be one of the major problems of the city. Being hand in hand with the city's police narcotic squad is the Federal Narcotics Bureau. Mr. George Gaffney is the New York District Supervisor. In the last program of H is for joy, Mr. Gaffney told us about the drug addiction problem in his district. Today he concludes as he answers this question. What working relationship does your bureau have with the customs bureau and dealing with the drug traffic? Well, there's a regular, more or less, pattern here of our operations with them. We cooperate closely with them. If we have any information concerning smuggling activities, we refer to them for investigation. On the other hand, when they encounter violations which are local or interstate in nature, they refer them to us.
And many instances work together on these various types of investigations. Mr. Gaffney, do you feel that local and state statutes of law and your district are adequate to cope with the problem of the selling of drugs and if not, what changes would you like to see? Well, as far as New Jersey is concerned, we feel that they have pretty good laws, and as a matter of fact, they're attempting to strengthen them. In New York, however, we do feel that there's a considerable room for improvement. For example, we feel that since New York has this large percentage of the nation's addicts, that there should be some provisions in the New York laws calling for the compulsory hospitalization, at least isolation, compulsory isolation of the addict. In addition to that, you have a number of important traffickers make their headquarters in this area, and we feel that the state should have some form of mandatory punishments within
their law for narcotic violations along the lines of the mandatory provisions of the Federal Narcotic Control Act of 1956. What are some of the difficulties that you have in interesting the key sellers and buyers of narcotics? Well, at the onset, I would say this, that I think that we have been singularly successful in recent years in actually apprehending probably some of the most important criminals in the United States. Now, these people who were involved in narcotics that we were able to convict were involved in many other types of crime for which they were known on a nationwide scale, and so I would say we've been successful, but the difficulty, of course, arises from the fact that the higher you go up the ladder, the higher the echelon of the violator, the less likely it is that he will actually physically handle the narcotic drug as he has a number of subordinates and lieutenants who are willing to do his bidding, and he sits back in the position of
the financier and so forth, and the controller, so that we have to have a really extensive and a long range of investigations looking towards conspiracy indictments. And as I say, I would like to repeat that we have been very successful as evidenced by the conviction of veto-genovice and the stromburg cases and our seizures have been quite large. Yes. But in what ways do you assist the narcotic branches of the state and the local law enforcement agencies there? Well, for example, whenever we receive information which is purely of a local nature, we immediately refer this to either the New York City Police narcotic squad, which is probably one of the finest in the country, and to the in the outlying areas to the local police and the state police. I might mention here that the New York City Police Department narcotic squad has about 170 men, I believe, and these are 170 detectives, male and female, and they work very closely
with our men on many of our biggest cases. I can't think of any real big case at the present time that they haven't worked with us in the street and all ours is the night. What about the state? The same applies with the state insofar as investigations in the outlying areas are concerned. Mr. Gaffney, what is your prognosis for the immediate future regarding the addiction problem as it exists in your district there? Well, actually, I am very hopeful of the situation. I think that there is a definite trend here showing an improvement in a situation since the control act of 56-1 and effect that law, of course, made the penalties commensurate with the crime, and even in New York, we have seen a gradual reduction in a number of new addicts being reported, and this is a very hopeful sign, and I feel that if the state
does increase their mandatory punishment, and if we have the compulsory hospitalization or isolation of the addict, I think that the situation can eventually be brought down to an irreducible minimum. An irreducible minimum, or more simply nothing, no problem, no addiction. The future seems brighter for New York City. Perhaps someday, with the proper legislation, enforcement, and treatment, this hope will be a fact. Now let's move on. We've yet to speak about the Middle West, its addiction problem, and what it's doing about it. Moving west from the East Coast, we come to Cleveland, Ohio. Here drug addiction has never reached the proportions it did in New York or Los Angeles. Mr. H. J. N. Slinger has this to say about the Ohio problem. We have all the federal legislation we need, and the mandatory minimum sentences have been so severe in many places that we've been able to close about 15 branch offices,
but what should be done is the state should enact legislation like the states of Illinois and Ohio. Ohio enacted that severe legislation just dried up the traffic completely. Ohio, a state that as Mr. H. N. Slinger just said, has sufficient laws properly enforced, and can claim virtually no addiction problem at all. We spoke to Mr. Albert Cook, the district supervisor for the Federal Narcotics Bureau in Cleveland. Sir, what states are included in your district? The Cleveland office here is in charge of the Northern District of Ohio, which encompasses approximately the northern half of the state. How many agents are working in that district? We have two at the present time. Would you tell us how widespread is addiction in your area? We feel it is at a minimum. How many addicts do you figure are in your area there?
We estimate approximately 50 addicts in a Cleveland area at this time. Not all of them are currently addicted, but they are potential users if the drug is available. What is the average age of addicts there? I believe it would break down to about 25 to 30 years of age. What percentage of these would be women? A small percentage, approximately 10 percent. Mr. Cook, would you give us percentages ethnically? The majority of the users are members of the Negro race. What working relationship does your bureau have there with the customs bureau and dealing with drug traffic? We have had very low business with the customs, and that we do not have the international smuggling problem here at this time. Do you feel, sir, that local and state laws in your district are adequate to cope with the selling of drugs, the problem there, and if not, what changes would you like to see?
We feel that Ohio has the best law that is on record today, and we must give credit to it for reducing the problem to its present level. What about the city situation there in Cleveland? The city of Cleveland, as well as the other large cities in this area, which would be Columbus and Toledo, have good narcotic squads, the men are constantly enforcing the law, and this is helping greatly in suppressing the traffic. Can you tell us how does the law in Ohio care for this particular problem? It imposes a very penalty on persons that sell. When the law was enacted, provisions was made for the young or the teenager, and the sentences go all the way up to life imprisonment for anyone that would sell to a teenager.
When was that law enacted? In 1955. And you've had a noticeable decrease in the number of addicts since that time. We feel that there has been a 90 percent decrease. In what ways do you assist the narcotic branches of the state and the local agencies in your area? We assist in any way possible. One thing that is important to realize, to avoid duplication of effort, is that as federal agents, we are not hampered by state minds where these local officers must work in their own territory. So by having them work on the smaller peddlers and the addicts within the community, we are able to concentrate on the interstate and intercountry traffickers. Mr. Cook, what are some of the difficulties that you have in arresting the key sellers and buyers of narcotics?
That often they are so far removed from the actual sale that it's long time and effort getting to this person. And it's necessary that there would be definite evidence that he has association with the trade. That is true. Now, what do you see, sir, for the immediate future regarding the addiction problem as it exists in your area? I feel that it will be necessary for the public to show a continued interest and insist that local enforcement continue to enforce the laws. It's important that the prosecutors and the courts be veggers and prosecute and impose the penalty as prescribed by law should they relax in this effort. I'm afraid that the traffic would gain momentum here. That was Mr. Albert Cook, federal narcotics bureau agent from Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Cook said something very interesting. He mentioned that even though Ohio has possibly the best narcotic law enforcement in the United States, that the real power of continued success lies in the hands of the people. He's right. In a democratic society, true power and authority ultimately rests with the people, both collectively and individually. In order to act and react intelligently and effectively, the people must be informed. They cannot remain ignorant or separated from the mainstream of society. Recognized or not, they are a part of a whole. A sum total, a great body that in Ohio's case has learned that H is not for joy. The preceding tape recorded program was made available to this station by the National
Association of Educational Broadcasters. This is the N-A-E-B radio network.
Series
H is for joy
Episode
Addiction: East coast & midwest
Producing Organization
Moody Bible Institute
Contributing Organization
University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/500-ks6j539n
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Description
Episode Description
In this program, agents George Gaffney and Albert Cook describe addiction problems in New York and Ohio. Also, why it is so difficult to apprehend the "big traffickers."
Series Description
A documentary series about the nature of drug addiction, the current status of addiction, and various programs of prevention and treatment. Participants in the series include Dr. Rafael S. Gamso; Meyer Diskind of New York State Board of Parole; and Joseph Fiedoral, a Chicago policeman.
Broadcast Date
1961-03-17
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:14:39
Embed Code
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Credits
Announcer: Sealy, Ted
Producing Organization: Moody Bible Institute
Speaker: Gaffney, George
Speaker: Cook, Albert
Writer: Vanetta, Ed
AAPB Contributor Holdings
University of Maryland
Identifier: 61-1-17 (National Association of Educational Broadcasters)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Duration: 00:14:34
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Citations
Chicago: “H is for joy; Addiction: East coast & midwest,” 1961-03-17, University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 28, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-ks6j539n.
MLA: “H is for joy; Addiction: East coast & midwest.” 1961-03-17. University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 28, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-ks6j539n>.
APA: H is for joy; Addiction: East coast & midwest. Boston, MA: University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-ks6j539n