The Real Twenty One Jump Street
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as two undercover cops who go as students in an attempt to stop the spread of an emerging drug in Twenty One Jump Street. The movie produced $138,447,66 and is a highly rated by the public. Little do people know that the basic premise of the movie is a reality, except the cops are using students to gather information on drug rings. The cops in real life track students who purchase drugs and wait for the students to purchase enough for the cops to arrest the student; however, the cops give the students two options: go to jail or be a rat.
Most choose to become a rat. This choice is made hastily, fearfully, and instinctually. Going to jail for these students means the possibility of being expelled, confessing to their parents, asking someone for bail, and obtaining a criminal record. Here enlies a problem. The students are basically being blackmailed. Many times students do not have a lawyer present and have no way to understand all of their legal options. They are also making a potentially dangerous decision. If a drug dealer discovers that the student is working with the police, the drug dealer may assault the student in some way. Andy, a student from Mississippi, attended a junior college and was faced with this decision in 2011. His initial reaction was, “I’m fucked.” This reaction illustrates that the police were now planning on using him, and in return Andy would not have to be locked behind bars. Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit uses about 30 other students like Andy each year. A study of four major cities in 1955 shows that 92% of search warrants involving drugs were sought after because of information provided by students like Andy.
The debate over whether or not students should be used as police informants has no clear resolution. Are the police helping young adults or are they just using them? Why not just warn the students and help them stop using, then they would not be at risk as a rat? Maybe the informants are too essential to the police in bringing down the “real” bad guys. Also, who decides what students to cut the deals with and who to just flat out arrest? Some kind of regulations need to be put into place so these students are not being taken advantage of.
(All specific facts are found in the article linked below)
The statistics presented in the second paragraph really helped bring your point to life. I would lead into the Mississippi student a bit more because it shifts quickly. Overall a good essay, the questions in the end made the problem come to life.
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic..leaves the reader pensive
ReplyDelete