Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jul 2014
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2014 The New York Times Company
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Ira Glasser
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n590/a09.html

CITY'S POLICY ON DRUG ARRESTS

Ira Glasser on Marijuana Prosecutions

To the Editor:

Your July 16 editorial "A Sensible Marijuana Policy in Brooklyn"
applauds the Brooklyn district attorney, Kenneth P. Thompson, for
deciding no longer to prosecute most cases in which people have been
arrested for possession of small amounts of marijuana, and to focus on
serious crimes instead.

New York City's police commissioner, William J. Bratton, responded to
Mr. Thompson's decision by asserting: "In order to be effective, our
police officers must enforce the laws of the State of New York
uniformly throughout all five boroughs of the city. Accordingly, the
Kings County policy change will not result in any changes in the
policies and procedures of the N.Y.P.D."

In light of the fact that the Police Department has never before
arrested people uniformly for possession of small amounts of marijuana
- - instead arresting mostly black and Latino youths in their
neighborhoods, and making virtually no similar arrests in
predominantly white neighborhoods, where at least as much marijuana is
possessed and used - Mr. Bratton's announcement comes as welcome, if
surprising, news. When might we expect the Police Department to
actually do that?

Given the well-documented continuing racially biased pattern of
marijuana arrests, it would appear that what Mr. Bratton really means
is that he gets to decide whom to arrest, but Mr. Thompson can't
decide whom to prosecute. And where does Mayor Bill de Blasio, who
campaigned against such biased law enforcement and who appointed Mr.
Bratton, stand on this?

IRA GLASSER

New York, July 16, 2014

The writer is president of the Drug Policy Alliance and former
executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union.
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MAP posted-by: Matt