However, some debate preceded the making of the motion. By restricting capital offenses to the killing of law enforcement officers, the amendment ignores the countless victims of drug-related murders who are ordinary citizens. In addition, this amendment would destroy the bill's main purpose of reducing the number of drug-related killings and would allow our major cities to continue to degenerate into the drug infested war zones that are the drug lord's domain. One of the biggest hurdles our police face in the war against drugs is the code of silence drug dealers enforce among witnesses and participants of drug-related crimes. These tactics have all but eliminated cooperation between police and the victims of drug-related crimes.
People are too scared to report what they know.
Furthermore, gang members caught by police rarely inform on their co-conspirators. A law allowing courts to impose the death penalty could help break the loyalty drug operatives have for their bosses, and enable police to penetrate the upper levels of drug organizations. Such an erroneous lable does an injustice to the innocent men, women, and children who have been killed in the cross-fire of battling drug lords. These people deserve the protection the death penalty can provide. The absolute disregard for human life displayed by some drug organizations is frightening.