The new drug czar may have a different approach to drugs. For one, his record as Seattle Police chief shows he’s not big on focusing on marijuana busts. But can he offer up a different enough approach to make an impact on a war on drugs in which victory is always beyond reach? Â And what will he offer up to deal with the ever-dangerous drug war in Mexico that’s spilling over into U.S. borders?
By AllGov
President Obama’s apparent nominee to be the nation’s new “drug czar,” Robert Gil Kerlikowske, has spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement, including a stint as a narcotics officer and eight years as Seattle’s police chief, during which he downplayed the importance of arresting individuals for marijuana possession.
Born in Fort Myers, Florida, in 1949, Kerlikowske was raised by his mother and stepfather, who was a judge. As a high school student, Kerlikowske worked as a crime scene photographer on weekends, and he discovered his love for law enforcement while fingerprinting criminals at a Florida jail.
Kerlikowske enrolled in St. Petersburg Junior College, but was drafted into the army in 1970, and joined the Army Military Police. He was stationed in Washington, DC, where his duties included saluting then-President Richard Nixon as he boarded the Marine One helicopter.
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