Drugs chief: I quit after ministers failed me

THE police chief spearheading Scotland's war on drugs quit his post last night, blaming bureaucracy, under-manning and lack of co-operation.

Graeme Pearson, head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), took an explosive sideswipe at ministers and fellow police chiefs as he left office more than two years early, declaring he "would not apply for his own job".

Pearson complained that his agency had never been fully staffed, revealed some Scottish police forces refused to release experienced officers for anti-drug campaigns, and suggested there was a lack of ambition at the highest levels in dealing with the menace of drugs.

Pearson, one of Scotland's most experienced and respected police leaders, also condemned the chief constable of North Wales as "crackers" for suggesting all illegal drugs should be legitimised. Pearson added that alcohol was the biggest drug of concern in Scotland, saying many drug addicts started by binge-drinking aged 11 or 12.

Last night, one leading politician said Pearson's departure was a great loss that would "delight the gangsters". Although Pearson announced his resignation earlier this year, few expected him to deliver such a devastating verdict on progress in the drugs war. His post as SCDEA director-general is unlikely to be filled for months.

Pearson took up the job in March 2004 and he was not due to step down until 2010. He is credited with turning around the fortunes of the SCDEA, which seized Class A drugs worth more than £60m in the past 18 months.

Explaining his reasons for stepping down in an exclusive interview with Scotland on Sunday, Pearson said: "The agency has never been fully staffed and I would say, on average, is about 10% down on what it should be.

"One of the problems is that some of the forces find it difficult to release staff to us because the pressures, at force level, encourage forces to keep them there.

"The support has been willing but the reality has been weak. It is the attention to detail which the agency needs. We need the top people because of the job we do. Let's get the resources in to do that. The agency needs the best to be the best, and that has to be recognised."

Pearson also criticised the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA), an umbrella body set up by ministers to take overall control of the drugs agency, criminal records and fingerprinting. It was created to streamline the police, but many believe it has only led to new layers of bureaucracy.

Pearson said: "My estimation for the agency is not matched by the ambition of the SPSA. I think it is best for me if I go and a new director-general comes in. I could not guarantee that in two-and-a-half years' time I would look back and see I had achieved what I wanted to."

A police insider close to Pearson said: "The agency is at the forefront of fighting serious and organised crime and is held in extremely high regard both across the UK and abroad.

"But because of the SPSA, the agency is becoming locked into bureaucracy. If the agency had not been working well before the SPSA took over then that would have been a different matter, but it was."

The insider confirmed Pearson was also frustrated that some chief constables in Scotland were reluctant to commit their own top officers to the national battle against drugs.

Pearson also used his interview to reiterate his opposition to any moves to legitimise illegal drugs, a call recently made by the chief constable of North Wales, Richard Brunstrom.

Pearson said: "Richard Brunstrom is crackers to say a thing like that. The Misuse of Drugs Act was put in place because it appeared that drug use in Britain was out of control. He has not thought it out at all.

"Will we have drug stores on every high street? Will you have medical professionals handing them out to the public? And what is a legitimate drug? Is it Ecstasy, cannabis, heroin, crack cocaine? Anything?"

Pearson also highlighted alcohol as "the biggest drug of concern in Scotland".

He said: "I regularly visit inmates at places like Polmont [Young Offenders' Institute] and I ask them: 'Is there a gateway to drug abuse?' And every time the answer comes back: 'Yes, alcohol.'

"I talk to the prisoners and so many of them tell me that they began at the age of 11 or 12 years old, binge drinking before moving on to drugs, starting with cannabis and then heading into other drugs. They end up skipping school and then, eventually, they are kicked out and they end up without any qualifications and before they know it they are unable to do anything with their lives."

Paul Martin MSP, Labour's justice spokesman, said lessons had to be learned from Pearson's decision to quit early and the reasons behind it.

He said: "Scotland needs people like Graeme Pearson. He understands the situation. Not only did he show determination, he showed real leadership to get rid of some of the worst criminals in Scotland. News that he is going will delight the gangsters.

"Bureaucracy needs to be kept in check. The bad guys do not work with bureaucracy but we never seem to be able to take bureaucracy out of the mix. The Executive has to show initiative and do something about this."

Bill Aitken, Scottish Conservative justice spokesman, said: "The SCDEA was starting to cut off the heads of the [drug] trade and was exceptionally successful in doing so under Pearson's leadership. Police forces have got to realise that the agency's activities are pivotal in the fight against crime and there has to be a wider sense of engagement. And the role of the SPSA has got to be examined."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "While most of the points raised relate to the previous administration, the new Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill has already hit the ground running and has made significant progress in the first six months of government in addressing these concerns."