Jack A. Cole
Encyclopedia
Jack A. Cole is an American
drug policy reform
activist and retired police officer. He is the executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
(or LEAP),
a non-profit organization
composed of former and current police officers, government agents and other law enforcement agents who oppose the current War on Drugs
.
Cole is a retired Detective
Lieutenant
who worked for the New Jersey State Police
for 26 years. For twelve of those years, Cole worked as an undercover
narcotics officer. The cases he investigated ranged from street drug users and mid-level drug dealers in New Jersey to international "billion-dollar" drug trafficking organizations. He ended his undercover career living nearly two years in Boston
and New York City
, posing as a fugitive drug dealer wanted for murder, while tracking members of a terrorist organization that robbed banks, planted bombs in corporate headquarters, court-houses, police stations, and airplanes and ultimately murdered a New Jersey State Trooper.
Since retiring, Cole has been active in working to reform current drug policy. His experiences as an undercover officer led him to the conclusion that the U.S. Government's war on drugs is unjust and steeped in racism
. He contends that ending drug prohibition will be an important step towards correcting social problems stemming from race and gender bias, as well as corruption in law enforcement.
Cole holds a B.A.
in Criminal Justice
and a Masters Degree in Public Policy
from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
. He is a national and international speaker who has taught courses to police recruits as well as veteran officers on ethics
, integrity
, and moral decision-making
. He has spoken on drug policy at several colleges and universities, as well as on many radio
programs. He has also addressed this issue at conferences and meeting across the United States
, as well as in Europe
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drug policy reform
Drug policy reform
Drug policy reform, also known as drug law reform, is a term used to describe proposed changes to the way most governments respond to the socio-cultural influence on perception of psychoactive substance use...
activist and retired police officer. He is the executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is a non-profit, international, educational organization comprising former and current police officers, government agents and other law enforcement agents who oppose the current War on Drugs. LEAP was founded on March 16, 2002...
(or LEAP),
a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
composed of former and current police officers, government agents and other law enforcement agents who oppose the current War on Drugs
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
.
Cole is a retired Detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
who worked for the New Jersey State Police
New Jersey State Police
The New Jersey State Police is the state police force for the state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with state wide jurisdiction when requested by the Governor, designated by Troop Sectors.-History:...
for 26 years. For twelve of those years, Cole worked as an undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
narcotics officer. The cases he investigated ranged from street drug users and mid-level drug dealers in New Jersey to international "billion-dollar" drug trafficking organizations. He ended his undercover career living nearly two years in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, posing as a fugitive drug dealer wanted for murder, while tracking members of a terrorist organization that robbed banks, planted bombs in corporate headquarters, court-houses, police stations, and airplanes and ultimately murdered a New Jersey State Trooper.
Since retiring, Cole has been active in working to reform current drug policy. His experiences as an undercover officer led him to the conclusion that the U.S. Government's war on drugs is unjust and steeped in racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
. He contends that ending drug prohibition will be an important step towards correcting social problems stemming from race and gender bias, as well as corruption in law enforcement.
Cole holds a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
and a Masters Degree in Public Policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
. He is a national and international speaker who has taught courses to police recruits as well as veteran officers on ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, integrity
Integrity
Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions...
, and moral decision-making
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
. He has spoken on drug policy at several colleges and universities, as well as on many radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
programs. He has also addressed this issue at conferences and meeting across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.