For Immediate Release: Oct. 3rd, 2005 Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) Cops Say Legalize Drugs! Ask Us Why. Long Rider Completes Cross-Country Journey On Horseback

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For up-to-the-minute information on the last days of the ride, call Ride Coordinator Jack Cole at 617-792-3877.

Retired Michigan Policeman Howard Wooldridge has arrived in the New York City area to speak out against the war on drugs!

A Cop on Horseback is finishing a 2nd Cross-America Ride! ­3300 miles from Los Angeles to New York City. He's ridden 3270 miles so far-only 30 miles to go!

On Monday, Oct. 3, Wooldridge will be riding on Broadway (US 9), from Tarrytown, to just across the Harlem River. Tuesday, he will ride from there to Central Park, and on Wednesday, the last day of the ride, he will ride down Broadway to Battery Park, the end of a long journey.

The last three decades of the U.S. War on Drugs have wasted over half a trillion tax dollars, and choked our court systems, quadrupled our prison population, and made prison-building our nation's fastest growing industry, but Drugs are now more potent... More available! And often cost even less! than they did 30 years ago!

This scenario must be the very definition of a failed policy.

LEAP believes that a system of regulation and control is more effective than one of prohibition.

Backup contacts: Ethel Rowland, ethelr@ispwest.com, (772) 460-0802
Mike Smithson, speakers@leap.cc, (315-243-5844)

For Immediate Release: October 3rd, 2005

"Cops Say Legalize Drugs! Ask Us Why"

• Who: Howard Wooldridge, Retired Michigan Policeman, Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, Co-founder and a Director of LEAP, member of The Long Riders Guild
• What: Press Conference celebrating the end of his SECOND coast-to-coast horseback ride
• When: 3p.m., Wednesday, October 5th
• Where: Clinton Castle, Battery Park, New York City
• Why: Nine decades of failed national drug policy

Wooldridge will announce the beginning of a new and extensive membership campaign in addition to celebrating the end of his historic ride. As reported by the Associated Press (Sept. 26), over the past six months, he has ridden 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York City, speaking with passers-by, giving interviews on radio and television, giving presentations to civic and church groups, stimulating a national discussion of the failures of Drug Prohibition.

Crossing the Harlem River on Oct. 3rd, Howard will continue down Broadway to Midtown on Oct. 4th. On Oct. 5th, he will ride the final portion of his historic journey from there to Battery Park.

Any adjustments to his route will be posted at http://www.leap.cc/howard.

Like Paul Revere's ride to alert the colonists about the invasion, Howard Wooldridge rode to alert Americans about the failures of Drug Prohibition. Nine decades of Drug Prohibition has made the problem worse than it has ever been, and created a multitude of new problems. Howard Wooldridge took his message on the road, riding across America on his horse, Misty, proudly wearing the shirt that says "Cops Say Legalize Drugs. Ask Me Why."

Backup contacts: Ethel Rowland, ethelr@ispwest.com, (772) 460-0802
Mike Smithson, speakers@leap.cc, (315-243-5844)

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