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7/29/2019 One Million Police Hours
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44,111
39,213
27,944
29,752
31,925
39,156
40,383
46,487
50,383
50,484 3
9,218
110,278 9
8,033
69,860
74,380
79,813
97,890
100,958
116,218
125
,958
126
,210
98,045
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
120,000
130,000
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
#ofMarijuanaPossessionArrests #ofPoliceHours(Arrestsx2.5hours)
OneMillion
Police
HoursMaking440,000MarijuanaPossessionArrests
InNewYorkCity,20022012
Preparedby HarryLevine,LorenSiegel,andGabrielSayegh forthe DrugPolicyAllianceandtheMarijuanaArrestResearchProject,March2013.Source:NewYorkStateDivisionofCriminalJusticeServices
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OneMillionPoliceHours:Making440,000MarijuanaPossessionArrestsinNewYorkCity,20022012________________________________________________________________________________PoliceHoursMembers
of
the
New
York
City
Council
and
the
New
York
State
Legislature
asked
us
to
determinehowmanyhoursNewYorkCitypoliceofficershavespentmakinghundredsof
thousandsoflowestlevelmarijuanapossessionarrests.Thisisnecessarilyarangefromlower
tohigherbecausethenumberofofficersinvolvedinasinglearrestvaries,andthetimeeach
spendsvariesconsiderably.
InourongoingresearchaboutmarijuanapossessionarrestsinNewYork,1wehavefoundthata
basicmisdemeanorarrestformarijuanapossessioninNewYorkCityvariedfromaminimumof
twoorthreehoursforoneofficer,tofourorfivehoursorevenlongerformultipleofficers.
Duringthistimetheofficersreturnedtothepolicestationwiththehandcuffedarresteesand
bookedthem;theytookphotographsandfingerprints,gathered otherinformationandwroteit
up.Theysentthepersonaldatatobecheckedagainstthestate'scriminaldatabasesandoften
waitedto
receive
the
arrestees'
criminal
records,
if
the
database
searches
found
any.
Arresting
officersregularlytooksuspectstothecentralbookingjail,wereinterviewedbyassistantdistrict
attorneys,andappearedincourt.
Foraverylowandconservativeestimate,weusedtwoandahalfhoursasaminimumaverage
amountoftimeoneofficerspendsmakingamarijuanapossessionarrest.Wemultiplied2.5
hoursbythenumberoflowestlevelmarijuanapossessionarrests(chargedunderNYSPenal
Law221.10)foreachyearsince2002whenMayorBloombergtookoffice.
Thefrontcoverofthisreportshowsagraphwiththenumberofmarijuanaarrestsforeachyear
from2002through2012.InthoseelevenyearstheNYPDmadeatotalof439,056possession
onlyarrests.Multipliedbytwoandahalfhoursofpolicetimeperarrestthatequals1,097,640
hoursorapproximatelyonemillionhoursofpoliceofficertimetomake440,000marijuana
possessionarrests.Thatistheequivalentofhaving31policeofficersworkingeighthoursaday,365daysayear,for11years,makingonlymarijuanapossessionarrests.Doublingthetimetooneofficerforfivehours,ortwoofficersfortwoandhalfhourseach,
equalstwomillionhoursofpolicetimetomakethe440,000arrests.Twoofficersforfivehours
equalsfourmillionhoursofpolicetime.Thisdoesnotincludethetimespentbypolice
supervisorsorbycorrections,court,andprosecutorstaff,northetimeofficersspentsearching
forpeopletoarrest.
Evenattheminimumofonemillionpoliceofficerhoursforthe440,000arrests,itisclearthat
themarijuanaarrestshavetakenpoliceoffthestreetandawayfromothercrimefighting
activitiesforasignificantamountoftime.
CostofMarijuanaArrestsSeveralyearsago,inresponsetorequestsfrommembersoftheNewYorkCityCouncilandthe
StateLegislature,weresearchedthecriminaljusticesystemcostsofNewYorkCity'smarijuana
possessionarrests.Thequestionwas:HowmuchhaveNewYorktaxpayersbeenpayingto
makethesearrests?InMarch,2011,wepresentedourfindingsinareport:"$75MillionAYear:TheCostofNewYorkCity'sMarijuanaPossessionArrests."2Itsprincipalfindingswere:
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1)Overthelast15years,asinglearrestformarijuanapossession,includingallpoliceandcourt
expenses,hascostfrom$1,000to$2,000ormore,conservativelyestimated.Thiscoversall
policetimeincludingovertimepayforarrestingofficersandsupervisors,allprearraignmentjail
costsandallcourtandprosecutorexpenses.
2)In2010,NewYorkCityspent$75millionormorearrestingandjailingmostlyyoungpeople
simplyforpossessingsmallamountsofmarijuana.
3)From
1997
through
2010
the
NYPD
made
536,000
arrests
for
marijuana
possession.
This
has
costtaxpayers$500milliontoover$1billion.
Thereportreceivedconsiderablemediacoverage;ourestimateswerealmostcertainlylowand
haveneverbeencontested.TheeconomicscolumnistfortheNewYorkTimesdrewuponour
research,andGovernorCuomocitedourfindingsinhisStateoftheStatereportin2013.Our
reportsuggestedthattheNYPD'smarijuanapossessionarrestcrusadewasnotasensibleuseof
valuablepoliceandcityresources.
Responsestothe440,000MarijuanaPossessionArrests
Inthenextsectionwehavearrangedexcerptsfromnumerousprominentpublicationsexposing
NewYorkCity'smarijuanapossessionarrests.Theexcerptscoversixyearsinchronological
orderwithahyperlinktoeacharticleintheendnotes.Asevenaquickreviewwillreveal,many
journalists,editorialboards,publicofficials,lawenforcementprofessionals,andpublic
advocateshavearticulatelyandofteneloquentlydrawnattentiontothearrestsandtheircosts,
harmfulconsequences,wastefulness,andextremeracialbias.WeagreewithGovernorCuomo
whosaidinhis2013StateoftheStateaddress:"Thesearrestsstigmatize,theycriminalize,they
createapermanentrecord.It'snotfair,it'snotright,itmustend,anditmustendnow."
_______________
NOTE:Wehavealsographedthenumberofhoursthepeoplearrestedhavespentinpolicecustody.
Professionalsinthecriminaljusticesystemreportthatmostpeoplearrestedspendupto24hoursin
custody.Wetooktheconservativefigureof12hourstoconstructthefollowinggraph.Fortheyears2002
through2012,
at
an
average
detention
of
only
12
hours
per
arrest
(almost
certainly
low),
the
people
the
NYPDarrestedspentoverfivemillionhoursincustody.At18hoursforanarrest,thatequalsnearlyeight
millionhoursinpolicecustodyforthemostlyblackandLatinoyoungpeoplearrested.
529,332
470,5
56 335,328
357,024
3
83,100
469,8
72
484,59
6
557,844
604,596
605,808 4
70,6
16
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
#ofHoursMarijuanaPossessionArresteesSpentinPoliceCustody
(440,000ofArrestsx12Hoursincustody=5MillionHoursinCustody)
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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BernardHarcourtandJensLudwig,UniversityofChicagoLawSchool,20073
WefindnogoodevidencethattheMPV[marijuanainpublicview]arrestsareassociatedwithreductions
inseriousviolentorpropertycrimesinthecity.AsaresultNewYorkCitysmarijuanapolicingstrategy
seemslikelytosimplydivertscarcepoliceresourcesawayfrommoreeffectiveapproachesthatresearch
suggestsiscapableofreducingrealcrime....
Thispolicingstrategyfocusedonmisdemeanor[marijuanainpublicview]arrestsishavingexactlythe
wrongeffectonseriouscrimeincreasingit,ratherthandecreasingit....[NewYorkCitys]experiment
withmisdemeanor[marijuanainpublicview]arrestsalongwithalltheassociateddetentions,
convictions,andadditionalincarcerationsrepresentsatremendouslyexpensivepolicingintervention....
[Themarijuana
arrest
policy]
had
asignificant
disparate
impact
on
African
American
and
Hispanic
residents.Ourstudyfurthershowsthatthereisnogoodevidencethatitcontributedtocombating
seriouscrimeinthecity.Ifanything,ithashadthereverseeffect.Asaresult,theNYPDpolicyof
misdemeanorMPVarrestsrepresentsanextremelypoortradeoffofscarcelawenforcementresources.
HarryG.LevineandDeborahPetersonSmall,MarijuanaArrestCrusade,NYCLU,April20084
HarcourtandLudwigsstudyisinaccordwiththeobservationsofpatrolofficersweinterviewedinNew
Yorkandothercities.Theseexperiencedpoliceofficerspointoutthatwhenofficersspendseveralhours
arrestingandbookingteenagersandyoungadultssimplyforpossessingmarijuana,theyareoffthestreet
unabletoengageinotherpolicework.Likewise,narcoticssquadssearchingforandarrestingpeople
possessingsmallamountsofmarijuanaarenotavailableforothercrimefightingwork.Indescribing
thesemarijuanaarrests,anumberofpoliceofficersusedexactlythesamephrase,callingthemawaste
oftime....
InthisreportwerefertowhatishappeninginNewYorkCityasamarijuanaarrestcrusadetohighlight
themassive,organized,evenrelentlesspursuitofthesearrestsundertwomayorsandthreepolice
commissionersforovertenyears.Butthetermcrusadedoesnotcaptureotherimportantcharacteristics
ofthesemarijuanapossessionarrestsincludingtheirracialbias,genderbias,costliness,andother
harmfuleffectstoNewYorkCityandespeciallytoBlackandLatinoyoungpeopleandtheirfamilies.
ItislongpasttimeforthepeopleofNewYorkCitytoknowaboutandaddresswhatitspolice
departmentandcriminaljusticesystemhavebeendoinginthisandothermatters.Andothercitiesand
countiesintheU.S.canlearnmuchfromNewYorksmarijuanapossessionarrestpolicyaboutwhatnot
todo.
Anthony
V.
Bouza,
Former
Chief
Of
Police
Of
Minneapolis,
Former
NYPD
Commander
In
The
Bronx,AuthorOfThePoliceMystique,May20085
NewYorkCityscurrentmarijuanaarrestsareexactlyanalogoustotheroundupofgaysinthe1950sand
1960sthatMayorLindsaystopped.Andtheoffensesrepresentexactlythesamelevelofrisktothe
public.Makingmarijuanaarrestsapriorityisawasteofpoliceresourcesanddoesnotreducestreet
violence.Illegal,trivial,meaninglessarrestsundermineconfidenceinthejusticesystemandcorruptthe
enforcers.NewYorksmarijuanaarrestsarecounterproductive,aclassicmisapplicationofpolice
resources.
ResponsesToNewYorkCity's440,000Marijuana
PossessionArrests,20022012,(andtoTheirCosts,Wastefulness,Consequences,andRacialDisparities)
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NewYorkMagazine,MarcJacobson,"TheSplittingImageofPot,"Sept21,20096
Ontheonehand,marijuanaispracticallylegal moremainstream,accessorized,andtakenforgranted
thaneverbefore.Ontheother,kidsaregettingbustedinthecityinrecordnumbers.Guesswhichkids.
JimDwyer,NYTimes,"WhitesSmokePot,butBlacksAreArrested,"December22,20097
OutsideamusicclubonGreenwichStreetinSoHo,thebouncerssmokejointsastheycheckinthe
arrivingcustomers.AyounggraphicartistroutinelystrollsthroughChelsea,jointinhand....ButtheSoHo
bouncersandtheChelseagraphicartistdonthavemuchtoworryabout,atleastfromthepolice:theyarewhite.Eventhoughsurveysshowtheyarepartofthedemographicgroupthatmakestheheaviestuse
ofpot,whitepeopleinNewYorkaretheleastlikelytobearrestedforit.Lastyear,blackNewYorkers
wereseventimesmorelikelythanwhitestobearrestedformarijuanapossessionandnomoreserious
crime.Latinoswerefourtimesmorelikely....
ThehandfulofwhitepotsmokerswhodogetarrestedcanbefoundincourtonMondaysandTuesdays,
whentheymustanswerticketstypicallyissuedforsmokingpotinapark.Therestoftheweekistakenup
withblacksandLatinos,whoaremorelikelytohavespentanightinjailbeforecourt,saidEdward
McCarthy,alawyerfortheLegalAidSociety.
Someofthepoliceofficers,whoareatthestartoftheircareers,areapologeticwhentheymakethese
arrests,Mr.McCarthysaid.Theysay,ifmylieutenantorsergeantwerenthere,Idletyougo.
CharlesBlow,"SmokeandHorrors,"NYTimesColumnist,Oct.22,20108
Thewarondrugsinthiscountryhasbecomeawarfocusedonmarijuana,onebeingwagedprimarily
againstminoritiesandpromoted,fueledandfinancedprimarilybyDemocraticpoliticians....
YoungpoliceofficersarefunneledintolowincomeblackandHispanicneighborhoodswheretheyare
encouragedtoaggressivelystopandfriskyoungmen.Andifyoulookforsomething,youllfindit.Sothey
findsomeoftheseyoungpeoplewithsmallamountsofdrugs.Thentheseyoungpeoplearearrested.The
officerswillgetexperienceprocessingarrestsandwilllikelygettofileovertime...andthepolicechiefswill
getameasureofproductivityfromtheirofficers.Theyoungmenwhowerearrestedaresimplypawns.
WhywouldDemocratssupportaprogramthathassuchadeleteriouseffectontheirmostloyal
constituencies?Itis,inpart,callouspoliticalcalculus.Itsaneasyandrelativelycheapwayforthemto
buyatough
on
crime
badge
while
simultaneously
pleasing
police
unions.
The
fact
that
they
are
ruining
thelivesofhundredsofthousandsofblackandHispanicmenand,byextension,thecommunitiesthey
belongtobarelyseemstoregister.
ThisisoutrageousandimmoralandtheDemocratscomplicityisunconscionable,particularlyforaparty
thatlikestopromoteitssocialjusticebonafides.Nooneknowsalltherepercussions oflegalizing
marijuana,butitisclearthatcriminalizingithasmadeitaliferuiningracialweapon.Whenwill
politicianshavethecouragetostandup,acknowledgethisfactandstopallowingyoungminoritymento
becollateraldamage.
JesseLevine,HuffingtonPost,"Bloomberg'sReeferMadness,"March15,20119
In2010NewYorkCityspent$75millionarrestingpeopleforpossessingsmallamountsofmarijuana....
Eacharrest
costs
at
least
$1,000
to
$2,000
(conservatively
estimated),
and
in
2010
the
NYPD
made
nearly
1,000arrestsaweek.The50,383peoplearrestedformarijuanain2010wereallfingerprinted,
photographed,andmostspent24hoursormoreinjail.Inallcases,marijuanapossessionwasthehighest
chargeortheonlycharge.
MayorBloomberghasfamouslyadmittedtosmokingmarijuanaandenjoyingit.YetonBloomberg's
watchthepolicehavearrestedmorepeopleforpossessingmarijuanathanthelastthreemayors
combined.SinceBloombergwaselectedin2002,theNYPDhasarrested350,000peopleforpossessing
lessthan7/8ofanounceofmarijuanaatacosttotaxpayersof$500millionto$1billionormore.
TheNYPDarrests50,000peopleayeartoconfiscate50,000jointsorsmallbagsandspends$75millionto
doit.ItseemsfairtosaythatMichaelBloomberghascreatedhisveryownReeferMadness.
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AilsaChang,WNYCNews,"AllegedIllegalSearchesbyNYPDMayBeIncreasingMarijuana
Arrests,"April26,201110
Policearrest140peopleeverydayinNewYorkCityforpossessingsmallamountsofmarijuana.It'snow
byfarthemostcommonmisdemeanorchargeinthecity,andthousandsofthesearreststakeplacewhen
policestopandfriskyoungmeninthepoorestneighborhoods.Whilepolicesaythesestopandfrisksare
a
way
to
find
guns,
what
they
find
more
often
is
a
bag
of
marijuana.
AninvestigationbyWNYCsuggeststhatsomepoliceofficersmaybeviolatingpeoplesconstitutional
rightswhentheyaremakingmarijuanaarrests.Currentandformercops,defenselawyersandmorethan
adozenmenarrestedforthelowestlevelmarijuanapossessionsayillegalsearchestakeplaceduring
stopandfrisks,whicharestreetencounterscarriedoutoverwhelminglyonblacksandLatinos.
[AilsaChangwonaDupontAwardforherinvestigativereportingontheillegalsearchesinthemarijuana
possessionarrests]
NewYorkObserver,ByAziPaybarah,"CriticsofMarijuanaArrestsMakeanEconomics
Argument,"May5,201111
NewYorkCityCouncilmembersLetitiaJames,MelissaMarkViveritoandJumaaneWilliamsjoined
protestersthis
morning
who
gathered
on
5th
Avenue
and
79th
Street
the
corner
where
Mayor
BloombergstownhouseislocatedtoprotestthecitysrecordofarrestingmostlyAfricanAmerican
andLatinopeopleforminordrugoffenses.Theytriedconnectingthecitysworseningeconomywiththe
expensesthecityispayingtobustpeopleforrelativelylowlevelcriminality.
MelissaMarkViverito:Duringthesetougheconomictimes,whenwearecontemplatingseverecutsto
basicmunicipalandhumanservicesthe$75millionwespendonmarijuanaarrestseachyearshouldbe
amongthefirstplaceswelookforsavings.
JumaaneWilliams:Wewastedbetween$50$100millionalonelastyeararrestingindividualsforlow
levelmarijuanaviolations,allatatimewheretheMayorproposescuttingessentialservicestoour
childrenandseniors.
LetitiaJames:Ouryouthalreadyhavetoworryaboutthelackofavailablejobs,whichisdifficult
enough,the
last
thing
they
need
is
to
be
victims
of
illegal
searches.
KristenGynne,"IsNYCtheMarijuanaArrestCapitaloftheWorld?Alternet,May27,201112
MichaelBloomberghasmadeNewYorkCityTheMarijuanaArrestCapitoloftheWorldthroughhis
supportofillegaltacticswhichallowcopstostopandfriskanyonetheyseefit.OnWednesday,May25,a
broadcoalitionofsocialadvocacygroups,supportersandCityCouncilmemberscongregatedaroundthe
cornerfromtheMayorsUpperEastSidetodeliverhimamockawardforhisefforts....
OrganizerscalledoutBloombergshypocrisy,notingthatwhenBloombergranforMayorin2001,he
admittedtohavingsmokedandenjoyedmarijuana,butcontinuestosupportusingloopholesinthestop
andfrisklawtoorchestratemassarrestsofyoungpeopleofcolorforsmallamountsofmarijuana.
Under
Mayor
Bloomberg,
marijuana
arrests
have
surpassed
those
under
Mayors
Koch,
Dinkins,
and
Giulianicombined.Despiteatightbudgetandthestrippingoffederallyfundedsocialprogramsand
education,thecitypumped$75millionintoarrestingmorethan50,000peopleforsmallamountsof
marijuanalastyear.
SpokesmanfortheDrugPolicyAllianceTonyNewmancalledthearrestsanumbersgamethatallows
officerstoclockinovertimeandmakeeasy,lowlevelarreststoaddtothewarondrugstatistics.
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JimDwyer,"SideEffectsofArrestsforMarijuana,"NYTimes,June16,201113
Onaveragelastyear,someonewasarrestedevery10minutesinNewYorkCityforpossessingafew
pinchesofmarijuanalessthan25gramsandnoothercrime.Morearrests,50,383,weremadein
2010onthischargethanonanyother,andarrestsarebeingmadeatanevenfasterpacethisyear.
"Theyrecloggingthecourtsandruiningpeopleslives,intermsofpotentialcollateralconsequencesfor
housing,employment,immigration,"saidStevenBanks,theattorneyinchiefoftheLegalAidSociety,
whichrepresented30,000peopleinminormarijuanacaseslastyear....
Testingoften
showed
marijuana
in
the
urine
of
people
arrested
in
New
York
City,
[an
aid
to
Mayor
Bloomberg]said:"Thedatashowsaninextricablelinkbetweendrugsandcrime,andmarijuanaisthe
mostprevalentdrugusedbycriminals."Wouldntthosesameurinetests,conductednotinjailsbutin
betteroffneighborhoods,showinextricablelinksbetweenpotandbankingorthelaworacademia?
Orevenpolitics.
NewYorkDailyNewsEditorial,Sept.29,201114
Inanalltootypicalsituation,copsstopayoungmanforquestioningandpossiblysubjecthimtoafrisk.
Whentheyaskhimtoemptyhispockets,heproducesasmallbagofmarijuana.Copsbusthimforthe
misdemeanoroffenseofpossessinglessthan25gramsofthedruginpublicview.Theinjusticeisobvious.
Thesubjectinquestionbroughtthepotintopublicview,committingthemisdemeanor,onlybecausehe
hadbeen
ordered
to
do
so
by
the
police.
Otherwise,
he
would
have
been
guilty
only
of
anoncriminal
possessionviolation,meritingtheequivalentofatrafficticket....Thedepartmentmakessome50,000
arrestsforpotpossessionannually,anunknownnumberofwhichhappenafterpoliceorderpeopleto
revealwhattheyarecarryingontheirpersons.
StevenThrasher,TheVillageVoice,Sept21,201115
Theprospectthat"youngmenofcolor,whoarehyperpolicedinthiscity"areactuallywalkingaroundin
largegroupssmokingpotinopenviewisabsurd.Soisthenotionthatpoorblackmalessmokepotmore
thanricher,palermenandwomen.Butstill,theygetdisproportionatelyarrestedbecause,underMayor
BloombergandPoliceCommissionerRayKelly,theNYPDusescontroversialUF250s"stopandfrisks"
onthematarecordsettingpace....
"I'mapolice
officer,
Icome
up
to
you,"
[Cassandra]
Frederique
explains
as
if
she
were
acop
approaching
ayoungmaninEastNewYork."'Whatareyoudoing?What'sinyourpockets?Pullitout.'Onceyoupull
itout,itbecomes'marijuanainplainview.'Andthat'swhentheyarrestyou."
StevenWishnia,Alternet,Dec30,201116
Tobeprosecutedformarijuanainpublicview,explainsOdalysAlonzo,chiefassistanttoBronxDistrict
AttorneyRobertJohnson,thedefendanthastobeobservedeithersmokinginpublicordisplayinga
glassineorplasticpackagethatpolicerecognizeasmarijuana.Sometimes,weseethreepeoplecharged
foronejoint,becauseweveseenthempassingajoint,shesays....
ThebiggestchangesinceKellysannouncement,[Scott]Levy[oftheBronxDefenders]suspects,maybein
howcomplaintsarephrased.Police,hesays,areincreasinglyreportingthattheysawadefendanttake
an
object
and
put
it
in
their
pocket
and
then
found
it
to
be
marijuana
when
they
searched
them,
but
ourclientsaresayingthattheyneverhaditout.
JoshuaSaunders,astaffattorneyattheBrooklynDefendersSociety,anotherpublicdefendergroup,says
hesseenalotofdropsycases,inwhichpolicesaytheysawthedefendantdropthemarijuanaonthe
ground.HepointsoutthepolicereportofamanbustedforthreebagsofpotintheBrownsville
neighborhoodinNovember.Itsaystheofficerobservedthemanonthesidewalkinfrontofabodegain
possessionofaquantityofmarihuanawhichwasopentopublicviewandwhichinformantrecovered
fromdefendantspantspocket.Saunderswondersifthemanhadtransparentpants.
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JenniferPeltz,AssociatedPress,Feb.1,201217
"Ourclientsarestillregularlystopped,searched,andmarijuanaisrecoveredfromtheirpocket,butatno
pointwheretheyhavingitout,smokingit,"[ScottD.LevyoftheBronxDefenders]said.Butmosttakea
dismissaldealorpleadguiltytoaviolation,ratherthandemandahearingthatgenerallycomesafter
monthsofcourtdatesandprolongsacasethatcancompromisejobprospects,hesaid."Sothevast
majorityofcasesarepleadingoutbeforeahearingiseverheldandtheseissuesarereallyaired,"Levy
said....
"NewYork
remains
in
afiscal
crisis,
and
we
simply
cannot
afford
to
arrest
tens
of
thousands
of
otherwise
lawabidingcitizensforpossessingsmallamountsofmarijuana especiallywhensomanyofthesearrests
aretheresultofillegalsearchesorfalsecharges,"Sen.MarkGrisantisaidinastatementWednesday.The
Republican,who'sacriminaldefenselawyer,issponsoringtheproposalwithDemocraticAssemblyman
HakeemJeffries.
It'sdifficulttoputapricetagonthecity'sarrests,butLevinehasestimateditcostanestimated$75
millionin2011toprocess,jailandprosecutethelowlevelarrestsinNewYork.Thatfigurewasa
compilationofestimatedcourtcosts,policemanpowerandjailtime,averagingabout$1,500perarrest
acostsharedbythestateandcity.
GabrielSayegh,Alternet.Feb.4,201218
SinceMichael
Bloomberg
became
mayor
adecade
ago,
the
NYPD
has
made
more
than
400,000
lowest
levelmarijuanapossessionarrestsatacostof$600milliondollars.Nearly350,000ofthosearrestedfor
marijuanapossessionunderBloombergareyoungBlackandLatinomeneventhoughyoungwhitesuse
marijuanaathigherrates.
ItisworthrememberingandpointingoutthatU.S.governmentstudiesconsistentlyfindthatyoung
whitesusemarijuanaathigherratesthanyoungBlacksandLatinos,saidQueensCollegeprofessorHarry
Levine.Butthepolicepatrols,stopandfrisks,andarrestquotasarehighestinBlackandLatino
neighborhoods,andthatiswheretheNYPDmakesmostmarijuanapossessionarrests.MayorBloomberg
isliketheEnergizerbunnyofmarijuanaarrestshejustkeepsgoingandgoingandgoing.
AliceBrennanandMichaelKeller,NewYorkWorldMarch30,201219
Six
months
after
New
York
City
Police
Commissioner
Ray
Kelly
ordered
all
police
officers
under
his
commandtoceasearrestingpeoplecarryingmarijuana,manyarestillbeinghandcuffedandsenttojail
afterofficerscoerceortrickthemintodisplayingthedrug.Thatstheconclusionofaclosereviewof517
casesbyBronxDefenders,acriminaldefenseandlegaladvocacyorganization,whichfoundthatnearly
halfofthosepickedupforsmallamountsofmarijuanapossessioninrecentmonthswerenotdisplaying
thedrugbeforetheywerestopped.ScottLevy,anattorneyattheBronxDefenders,thelegaland
advocacyorganizationthatledthesurvey,said:Thisisclearlyanillegalpractice"....
BrentStaples,NYTimesEditorialBoard,"TheHumanCostofZeroTolerance,"April18,201220
Millionsofpeoplehavebeenarrestedunderthepolicyforminorviolations,likepossessionofsmall
amountsofmarijuana.Andonethingisbeyonddispute:thisarrestfirstpolicyhasfilledthecourtsto
burstingwithfirsttime,minoroffenderswhodonotbelongthereandwreakedhavocwithpeopleslives.
Evenwhen
cases
are
dismissed,
people
can
be
shadowed
for
years
by
error
ridden
criminal
records....
NewYorkCitysoverlyzealousmarijuanaarrests,coupledwiththeunreliabilityandporousnessof
recordkeeping,damagethelivesoftensofthousandsofpeopleayear.TheLegislatureneedstofixthis.
Itmustdropthepublicdisplaydistinctionformarijuana,whichinvitesfartoomanyabuses.Itshouldalso
presslawenforcementofficialsandthecourtsystemtomakesurethatcriminalrecordsaremore
accuratetostartwithandthatpeoplewhoarevictimizedbyerrorshaveaplausiblewayofgettingthem
corrected.Employersandgovernmentagenciesalsohavearesponsibilityhere.Theymustnotrushto
theirownjudgmentaboutminoroffenders....
Thepoliceneedtospendmoretimetrackingdownseriouscrimeandlessonminoroffenses.Thereis
nothingminoraboutarecordthatcanfollowpeoplefortherestoftheirlives.
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SheldonSilver,Speaker,NYStateAssembly,GovernorCuomoPressConference,June4,2012WhattheGovernorisproposingthisafternoonisalogicalandunfortunatelynecessaryclarificationofthe
lawasitexiststoday.Itisandhasalwaysbeentheintentofthelegislaturetomakepossessionofless
than25gramsofmarijuanaaviolationandnotacrime...
HakeemJeffries,NYAssemblyMemberandnowCongressman,GovernorCuomo'sPress
Conference,Albany,
June
4,
2012
Theoverwhelmingmajorityofpeoplewhohavebeenarrestedasaresultofthewaythestatuteis
currentlywrittencomefromtheblackandLatinocommunity.Eventhoughstatisticsandstudies
consistentlyshowthatmarijuanapossessionanduseisfarmoreraciallydiverse.Infactsomestudiesthat
haveshownthataffluentyoungerwhitesusemarijuanainequalifnotgreaternumbers....
Thepossessionofsmallquantitiesofmarijuanaiseitheracrimeoritsnotbutitcannotbecriminal
behaviorforonegroupofpeopleandsociallyacceptablebehaviorforanothergroupofpeoplewhenthe
dividinglineisrace.
ManhattanDistrictAttorneyCyrusVance,MarijuanaLawReformTestimony,June4,201221
Halfoftheseindividuals[chargedwithopentopublicviewcriminalpossessionofmarijuanain
Manhattan]had
never
been
arrested
before,
and
approximately
46
percent
were
16
to
24
years
of
age.
Manyofthesedefendantswereheldinjailbeforetheywerearraignedbeforeajudge,acold
introductiontothecriminaljusticesystem....
Thehumancoststoeachoneofthosepeopleandtheirfamiliesisserious,anditisreal.Itcouldaffectan
individualsabilitytosecureajoborreceiveadmissionintoanacademicortrainingprogram.The
consequences ofthiscanbedevastatingforayoungmanorwomanstartingoutinlife.Itcanalsoimpose
afinancialburdenonsomeoneforcedtomissdaysofworktoappearincourt.
Furthermore,thedrainofresourcesinourofficeandtheNYPDtoprocessthose...casesissignificant.The
proposedlawwillallowustoredirectresourcesawayfromprocessingpeoplechargedwithsimplelow
levelpossessionofmarijuanaandusethosevaluableresourcestofightviolentcrimes,tomakeallofour
communitiessafer.Thisisjustanapplicationofcommonsenseandfundamentalfairness.
GovernorCuomo,PressConference,Albany,June4,2012SpeakerSilverandtheAssemblythatorchestratedaconversationandtheroundtablestoheightenthe
attentiononthisissue.TheDistrictAttorneys,CyVanceandalltheNewYorkCitydistrictattorneys...
RichardBrown,JoeHines,DanDonovancouldntbewithustodaybuttheyalsosupportthisproposal.I
wanttothankMayorBloombergforhissupport;PBApresidentPatLynchalsosupportsit,aswellasthe
DrugPolicyAlliance,NYCLU,LegalActionCenter,BarAssociationandBronxDefenders.Iamhopefulfor
passage.
NewYorkTimesEditorial,June4,201222
Publicdefendershaverepeatedlychargedthatthepoliceareentrappingyoungpeople,stoppingthemfor
nocauseandthenrequiringthemtoemptytheirpocketstobringtheirmarijuanaintopublicview.And
formerpoliceofficersnowspeakopenlyofbeingpressuredtodriveuptheirarrestrates....
TheLegislatureshouldtakeupMr.Cuomosproposalandpassitswiftly.Peoplewithminorconvictions
canbedeniedpublichousingandfederalstudentaidandwrittenoffbyprospectiveemployers.The
numbersforthestopandfriskprogramareevenmoredisturbing700,000lastyear,about85percent
ofthoseinvolvingblacksandHispanics,whomakeupabouthalfthecityspopulation.Decriminalizing
publicpossessionofsmallamountsofmarijuanawilladdressonlypartofthatproblem.Forthesakeof
fairnessandpublicsafety,thestopandfriskprogram,whichbreedsfearanddistrustofthepolicein
minorityneighborhoods,mustbereformed.
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AilsaChang,PoliceDesk,WNYC,June5,201223
TheWNYCinvestigationfoundtheproblemwasn'tthatmarijuanawasagainstthelawitwashowthe
policewereallegedlycarryingoutthelaw.Morethanadozenmenfromthemostheavilypoliced
precinctstoldWNYCtheywerearrestedfordisplayingmarijuanainpublicviewwhentheirmarijuana
wasactuallyhiddenintheirclothes.Theyclaimedduringastopandfrisk,policeeitherorderedthemto
emptytheirpocketsorpulledthemarijuanaoutthemselvesbeforearrestingthem.
CuomotouchedontheissueatMondaysannouncement."Ifyoupossessmarijuanaprivatelyitsa
violation,if
you
show
it
in
public
its
acrime,"
Cuomo
said.
"Its
incongruous,
its
inconsistent
the
way
its
beenenforced."
BillHammond,NewYorkDailyNewsColumnist,June5,201224
Cuomosplantodecriminalizepublicpossessionofsmallamountsofpotistheoppositeofdopey.Its
smartpolicyandsmartpoliticsatthesametime.ThefactthattheNYPDarrestsmorethan50,000people
ayearfordoingsomethingthatpracticallyeveryoneundertheageof60hasatleasttriedandknows
fullwelltobenomoredangerousthanalcohol,andprobablylesssoisbeyondridiculous....
Cuomohimselfhasacknowledgedsmokingmarijuana'inmyyouth.'Whenaskedduringhisfirstmayoral
campaignifhehadtriedpot,Bloombergsaid:'YoubetIdid.AndIenjoyedit.'Accordingtoanew
biographyofPresidentObamabyDavidMaraniss,thefutureleaderofthefreeworldandhisfriends
madeapointofclosingthecarwindowswhentheytokedup,sotheycouldtilttheirheadsbackandtake
'roofhits'whenthejointwasfinished.Yetnoneoftheselawbreakerswascaught.Sononegotturned
downforajoborforfeitedastudentloanor,mosttragicallyofall,lostcustodyoftheirchildrenallof
whichcananddohappentothemostlyyoung,mostlyblackandbrownNewYorkerssweptupinthe
citysmoderndayreefermadness.
CompoundingtheinjusticeisthefactthatNewYorksupposedlydecriminalizedmarijuana35yearsago
whentheLegislaturedowngradedprivatepossessionofupto25grams,or7/8ofanounce,toamere
violation,theequivalentofatrafficticket.Arrestingpeopleoverpot'needlesslyscarsthousandsoflives
andwastesmillionsofdollarsinlawenforcementresources,whiledetractingfromtheprosecutionof
seriouscrime,'lawmakersdeclaredatthetime....Cuomoisachievingaprogressivegoalinawaythat
getsgovernmentoutofpeopleslives.Ourcaloriecountingmayorcouldlearnathingortwo."
HeatherMacDonald,ManhattanInstituteandCityJournal,June7,201225
Losingtheopportunitytomakearrestsforpublicpossessionofsmallamountsofmarijuanaisworththe
demolitionofoneofthemoreubiquitouscanardsagainstthestopandfriskprogramthatitisbeing
deliberatelyabusedtoarrestminorities.AndthedecriminalizationlawmayevenimprovetheNYPDs
abilitytopolicehighcrimeareas....Thetimeofficerssavebynothavingtogotocourtforanarrestcould
increasepatrolpresenceonthestreetandfreethemupforadditionalenforcementactivity.
WendyRuderman&JosephGoldstein,PoliceReporters,NYYorkTimes,June22,201226
LegalAidlawyersbroughtthesuitonbehalfoffiveNewYorkerswho,theysay,werevictimsof"gotcha"
policetactics.ThefivemenwereallarrestedsincemidApril,fourinBrooklynandoneonStatenIsland;
theywere
charged
with
misdemeanor
possession
after
small
amounts
of
marijuana
were
found
on
them
duringpolicestops.Ineachcase,themarijuanabecamevisibleonlyafterofficerssearchedthemenor
askedthemtoemptytheirpockets,thesuitsays."ThesefiveindividualsareNewYorkerswhowere
essentiallyvictimizedbyunlawfulpolicepractices,"
Mr.Bankssaid."Thelawsuitisaimedatstoppingaperniciouspolicepractice,whichisharming
thousandsofNewYorkersayearandcloggingupthecourtsystemwithoneoutofsevencriminalcases
anddivertingresourcesandattentionfrommoreseriouscriminalmatters."
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FormerMayorEdKoch,HuffingtonPost,June26.201227
AgreatinjusticeisbeingperpetratedbymembersoftheNewYorkCityPoliceDepartmentonthepeople
ofthiscity....Iurgeallfivedistrictattorneystopubliclystatethattheywillnotprosecuteanyonecharged
withmarijuanapossessionforpersonaluseotherthanforaviolation.
Thehideouspartofallofthisisthatstudiesshowthatwhitesarethegreaterusersofmarijuana,not
blacksorHispanics.ItisblackandHispanicyouthswhoarebeingarrestedandendupwithcriminal
records,destroyingmanyoftheiralreadylimitedopportunitiesforgettingjobsandachievingabetter
life.This
is
unacceptable
in
asociety
that
believes
it
is
devoted
to
justice
and
fairness.
EduardPorter,EconomicsandBusinessColumnist,NewYorkTimes,July3,201228
Processingeachoftheroughly85,000arrestsfordrugmisdemeanorsinNewYorkCitylastyearcostthe
city$1,500to$2,000.Andthatisjustthecosttothebudget.HundredsofthousandsofAmericans,mostly
blackandpoor,areunabletogetajob,acreditcardorevenanapartmenttorentbecauseofthelasting
stigmaofacriminalrecordforcarryinganounceofmarijuana.
NewYorkTimesEditorial,"AnIneffectiveWayToFightCrime,"Nov.22,201229
AlawsuitfiledbytheLegalAidSocietyinJuneandpendinginstatecourtmakesthecasethatthepolice
are
still
arresting
people
illegally
in
clear
violation
of
both
the
commissioners
directive
and
the
state
law.
Morethan50,000possessionarrestsweremadelastyear....
NowanewstudybyHumanRightsWatchfurtherdebunksthemainpremiseofNewYorkCitysbroken
windowslawenforcementcampaign,whichholdsthatclampingdownonsmalloffenseslikesimple
marijuanapossessionpreventsseriouscrimeandgetshardcorecriminalsoffthestreets.Thestudy
trackedabout30,000peoplearrestedformarijuanapossessionin20034noneofwhomhadprior
convictionsforperiodsofsixandahalftoeightandahalfyears.Thestudyfoundthataboutonly
1,000ofthemhadasubsequentviolentfelonyconviction.Somehadmisdemeanororfelonydrug
convictions,butmorethan90percentofthestudygrouphadnofelonyconvictionswhatsoever.
ThereportconcludedthatthePoliceDepartmentwassweepinglargenumbersofpeopleintoNewYork
Cityscriminaljusticesystemparticularlyyoungpeopleofcolorwhodonotsubsequentlyengagein
violentcrime.Thiswastesmillionsofdollarsandunfairlyputspeoplethroughthecriminalsystem....The
Legislaturecould
go
along
way
toward
ending
unfair
prosecutions
by
adopting
Gov.
Andrew
Cuomos
proposaltomakepublicdisplayofasmallamountofmarijuanaaviolation."
BobGangi,"TheNYPD'squotasystemforcesofficerstocrackdownontheverypeoplethey
aresupposedtoserveandprotect,"Alternet,Nov.30,201230
WhiletheharmfuleffectsoftheNYPDsstopandfrisktactichavereceivedthemostpublicattention,this
practicedoesnotrepresentthemostseriousproblemwithcurrentpolicingpolicyinNYC.Itisnotthetrue
darkheartofthebeast.Thathonorgoestoanagencywidequotasystemthatpolicebrassuseto
evaluatetheperformancesofofficersonthestreetandthatdrivesaharsh,aggressiveapproachtolaw
enforcement....EverydaytheCityspoliceengageinobjectionablepracticesthatwastegovernment
resourcesandthatresultinmore,ratherthanless,socialdisorder.
NYPD
officials
use
the
term
"productivity
goals"
as
a
poorly
veiled
euphemism
for
the
Department's
quotasystem,asathincoverforthepressureplacedonstreetofficerstomakeanexpectednumberof
arrests,ortoissueasufficientnumberofsummonses.Thedepartmentdeniesitsuseofsuchmeasures
becausetheyareillegalunderstatelaw,alawwhich,oversixyearsago,astatearbitratorconcludedthat
theNYPDhadviolated....
"IfIbreakupafightbetweentwoboysandsendthemhome,Idon'tgetcredit.IfIhelpdeliverababyin
anemergency,Igetnocredit.ButIscorepointsifIissueaseatbeltsummonsorrecordtwostopand
frisks"[saidoneofficer]....
WhenaNYPDrepresentative, aprecinctcaptainorlieutenant,directsofficerstosatisfyspecificnumerical
goalsregardingarrestsandsummonses,thendeploystheofficersinparticularneighborhoods...the
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subsequentindiscriminateticketing,falsearrests,illegalstopandfrisks,andotherharassment
techniquesundermineofficers'relationshipwithcommunitiesandresultinpolicingthatisunfairand
unsuccessful.Asaconsequence,ourcity'scitizensdonotfeelsafeintheirownneighborhoods,ontheir
ownstreets,orintheirownapartmentbuildings.....
PBAPresidentPatrickLynchstatedrecentlythatquotasare"ineffectiveinfightingcrimeandserveasa
tremendoussourceoffrictionwiththecommunitiesthatourmembersaresworntoprotect.Eliminating
unnecessaryandcounterproductivequotaswillallowpoliceofficerstokeepNewYorkCitysafewhile
winningback
the
support
of
its
citizens."
IssaKohlerHausmann,NewYorkDailyNews,"PotArrestsAreAllAboutTheNumbers."Dec.
10,201231
NewYorkCitysmarijuanaexceptionalismhaslittletodowithcontributingtopublicsafety....Astudyby
UniversityofChicagolawprofessorsshowedmarijuanaarrestswerenotassociatedwithdeclinesin
violentcrime....Nordothesearreststargetseriouscriminals....AnewHumanRightsWatchreportshows
themajorityofthecitysfirsttimemarijuanaarresteesin2003and2004werenotconvictedofanycrime
bythesummerof2011.Lessthan3.5%wentontoviolentfelonyconvictions....
Ifthereisnoevidencethesearrestsenhancepublicsafetyandtopcityofficialspubliclydisavow
supportingmassmarijuanaarrests,thenwhatcouldpossiblydrivemarijuanatobetheNo.1arrest
chargein
the
city
over
recent
years?....
Thereismountingevidencethatpatrolofficersfeelpressuretoissuesummonsesandmakemisdemeanor
arrestsjusttohittargets,irrespectiveofpublicsafetygoals....Withmorethan600,000streetstopsa
year,marijuanapossessionisafairlyeasymisdemeanorarresttoturnup,whichiswhytherearesomany
sucharrests.Theyserveonlytoburnishofficersnumbers,andlittleelse.Thepressuresofquantitative
managementcanpushgoodcopstodobadthings,likemakingconstitutionallyquestionablearrestsor
concentratingarrestactivityoncrimesthatdonotreflectourpublicsafetypriorities.
GovernorAndrewCuomo,StateoftheStateAddress,Jan.9,201332
Thesearrestsstigmatize,theycriminalize,theycreateapermanentrecord.It'snotfair,it'snot
right,itmustend,anditmustendnow.
NYRISING:2013NYStateoftheStateReport,GovernorAndrewM.Cuomo,p.10310433
Thenumberstellastory:overwhelmingly,youngpeopleofcolorarearrested,processedandthen
released.But,arresthasconsequences thatpersistafterrelease.Thereisthehumiliationofarrestand,in
somecases,detentionduringprocessing.Moreenduringisthestigmaofthecriminalrecordsthatcan
havelastinganddeleteriouseffectsontheyoungpersonsfuture.Adrugarrestcanhaveasignificant
impactonapersonslifeandkeydecisionsmadebyemployers,landlords,licensingboardsandbanks.
Themountingnumberofarrestswithoutconvictionsinthisareaisnotcostfreeforlawenforcementor
thepubliceither.Acostbenefitanalysis...examinedthecoststothepoliceandcourtsofeacharrest
approximately$764inpoliceand$336incourtcosts.Basedonthenumberofarrests,theanalysis
concludedthatitcostsapproximately$75millionayeartosupportthecurrentpractice.
Isit
worth
the
price?
Overwhelmingly,
the
answer
is
no:
not
worth
it
in
dollars,
in
stigma
or
in
impact.
EdithHonan,ReutersNewsService,Feb.14,201334
NewYorkCitypolicewillnolongerholdpeopleovernightforpossessingsmallamountsofmarijuana,and
thecitywillbackastateefforttotreatthosecasesasviolationsinsteadofmisdemeanors,MayorMichael
BloombergsaidonThursdayinhisfinalStateoftheCityaddress....Bloombergsaidheactednowsothat
feweryoungmenwillbesaddledwithacriminalrecord.Healsosaiditwouldallowpolicetobetteruse
resources....Evenso,theNewYorkCivilLibertiesUnionsaidNewYorkCityconductsmoremarijuana
arreststhananyothercity.
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WallStreetJournal/AssociatedPress,February16,201335
Criticshavelongsaidthe[marijuanapossession]arrestsdolittleforpublicsafetybutinflictalotof
personalharm.Nowsomeofthestate'smostpowerfulpoliticiansaresayingso,too.
MayorMichaelBloombergannouncedinhisStateoftheCityaddressThursdaythatthecitywould
changehowithandlesthearreststosavepolicetimeandsparemanypeoplethelengthyprocessof
beingbooked
and
held
for
arraignment....
"You're
just
clogging
the
jails,
you're
clogging
the
courts,
you'recloggingthepoliceschedules,"[MayorBloomberg]addedonhisWORAMradioshowFriday....
BloombergandKellyarebackingCuomo'sproposaltodecriminalizepossessionofupto15gramsof
marijuanaevenifit'spubliclyvisible,aslongasit'snotbeingsmoked."Thesearrestsstigmatize,"Cuomo
saidinhisStateoftheStateaddress,notingthattheycanhurtpeople'schancesofgettingintocollegeor
landingjobs."It'snotfair.It'snotright"....NearlythreefifthsofNewYorkCityvotersfavortheconcept,
accordingtoaQuinnipiacUniversitypolllastJune.
NYDailyNewsEditorial/February18,201336
Filethisundersensibleandnotinevitable:MayorBloombergannouncedreformstospeedmisdemeanor
potbuststhroughthecriminaljusticesystem.Effectivenextmonth,themayorsaid,copswillnolonger
subjectsomeone
arrested
for
open
possession
of
marijuana
to
the
full
indignities
of
24
to
48
hours
in
aholdingcellbeforearraignmentinCriminalCourt....Meaning:Lesshassleforthepersonarrestedandless
burdenoncopsandcourts.
NewYorkStateisintheprocessofacknowledgingthatmarijuana,onitsown,isnotapressingpublic
safetymenacebutapublichealthproblem.Aspartofthatshift,Gov.Cuomomovedtodecriminalizethe
actofholdingsmallamountsinpublicview.Whilethatisntyetstatelaw,itmakesnosensetoputevery
lastmisdemeanormarijuanaarresteemostlyyoungblackandLatinomenthroughtheringer.
HarryG.Levine,"BuzzAboutNYCMayor'sMovetoReduceMarijuanaArrestsIsOverblown,"
Alternet,Feb15,201337
Theobviousquestionis:whyarethesepeoplebeingarrestedanddetainedatall?...[Notarrestingthem]
wouldsave
far
more
police
time
and
public
resources,
and
save
the
targeted
young
people
from
astigmatizingcriminalarrestrecordfordrugpossession.AsNewYorkGovernorAndrewCuomoputitin
hisStateoftheStateaddressinJanuary,"Thesearrestsstigmatize,theycriminalize,theycreatea
permanentrecord.It'snotfair,it'snotright,itmustend"....
MostofBloomberg'shundredsofthousandsofmarijuanapossessionarrestsoverthelast10yearswere
theresultofstopandfrisksinwhichpoliceeitherillegallysearchedpeoplebyreachingintotheirpockets
andbelongings,ororderedthemtoemptytheirpockets(whichisprobablyalsoillegal).Middleclassand
upperclasswhitesinNewYorkCityarerarelystoppedandsearchedbythepolice,andthereforerarely
arrestedoreventicketedformarijuanapossession.Yetyoungwhitesusemarijuanaathigherratesthan
youngblacksandLatinos.
Itistimeforeveryoneinthecitytobecoveredbythesamemarijuanapossessionpolicylongenjoyedby
middle andupperclasswhiteNewYorkers:noarrests,noticketsandnofines.
AlbanyTimesUnion,byJimmyVielkind,Capitolbureau,March12,201338
AlbanyCountyDistrictAttorneyP.DavidSoaresjoinedapressconferenceheldbymembersoftheBlack,
PuertoRican,HispanicandAsianLegislativeCaucustochangethestatesmarijuanalawsinordertoclose
aloopholethathasledtothearrestofthousandsofmostlyyoung,mostlyblackandHispanic,New
YorkCitymen....
Thesearrestshavehavecollateraldamageonyouth,hesaid.Theresalsotheissueofresourcesthat
arebeingusedinlawenforcementinenforcingtheselaws.Theseareresourcesthatcouldbebetter
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appliedtoaddressissueslikegunviolenceanddomesticviolencethatwebelieveshouldalwaysbea
priorityforlawenforcement.
AlbanyTimesUnion,ByJimmyVielkind,March13,201339
Abidtodecriminalizesmallamountsofmarijuanaisamongthenonfiscalitemsthatcouldworktheir
wayintothestatebudgetasnegotiationsdrawtoaclose....CriticsoftheNewYorkCityPolice
Department's
stop
and
frisk
program
say
some
targets
are
told
to
take
marijuana
out
of
their
pockets,
whereitwouldonlypromptaticket,andinto"publicview,"wheretheycanbearrestedandcharged
withamisdemeanor.
Theresult,accordingtoAssemblymanKarimCamara,aBrooklynDemocratwhochairstheBlack,Puerto
Rican,HispanicandAsianLegislativeCaucus,isthatblackandHispanicyouthareunjustlyand
disproportionatelysaddledwithcriminalrecords,eventhoughstudiesshowmarijuanauseismore
prevalentamongwhites.
"We'renotonlypunishingtheindividual;we'repunishingsociety,"saidCamara,notingthehighcostsof
enforcementandthedifficultypeoplewitharrestrecordsfacegettingintocollege."Thesearrestshave
collateraldamageonyouth,"agreedAlbanyCountyDistrictAttorneyDavidSoares,whojoinedCamaraat
anewsconferenceorganizedbytheDrugPolicyAlliance.
ENDNOTES
1The reports of the Marijuana Arrest Research Project, and much other information, can be found at:http://marijuana-arrests.com/ The NYPD, of course, does not make information available about the hoursofficers spend on particular police work. Therefore, in our ongoing research at national police conferences, inacademic settings and private meetings we have talked with many police officers from New York and other bigcities about everything they do, and in particular about the time they spend arresting people for simplemisdemeanors, especially for possession of a small amount of marijuana.We have also learned much fromformer prosecutors and judges, and for this report from Max Gross, a former researcher for the NY CivilianComplaint Review Board. For a discussion of the research and its methods see:Harry Levine and DeborahSmall, Marijuana Arrest Crusade: Racial Bias and Police Policy in New York City, NYCLU: http://marijuana-arrests.com/docs/MARIJ UANA-ARREST-CRUSADE.pdf
2 Harry Levine and Loren Siegel, $75 Million A Year: The Cost of New York City's Marijuana PossessionArrests," Drug Policy Alliance, March 2011:http://marijuana-arrests.com/docs/75-Million-A-Year.pdf
3"Reefer Madness: Broken Windows Policing and Misdemeanor Marijuana Arrests in New York City, 1989-2000", Criminology and Public Policy 2007:http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=948753
4 For a discussion of the research see: Harry Levine and Deborah Small, Marijuana Arrest Crusade: Racial
Bias and Police Policy in New York City, NYCLU: http://marijuana-arrests.com/docs/MARIJ UANA-ARREST-CRUSADE.pdf
5 Anthony Bouza, quoted on page 103 of: http://marijuana-arrests.com/docs/MARIJ UANA-ARREST-CRUSADE.pdf
6Marc Jacobson, NY Magazine: http://dragon.soc.qc.cuny.edu/Staff/levine/NYPotArrests/NYMag-The-Splitting-Image-of-Pot--Sept-2009.pdf
7 J im Dwyer: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/nyregion/23about.html?_r=0
8Charles Blow: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/opinion/23blow.html?_r=0
9J esse Levine: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-levine/bloombergs-reefer-madness_b_836278.html
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10 Ailsa Chang: http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2011/apr/26/marijuana-arrests/
11 New York Observer: http://politicker.com/2011/05/critics-of-marijuana-arrests-make-an-economics-argument/
12 Kristin Gwynne: www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/600637/is_nyc_the_marijuana_arrest_capital_of_the_world
13J im Dwyer: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/nyregion/push-for-marijuana-arrests-in-ny-has-side-effects.html
14 New York Daily News Editorial: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/police-commissioner-ray-kelly-ease-arrests-small-amounts-pot-article-1.952070#ixzz1ZLKiOP00
15 Steven Thrasher: http://www.villagevoice.com/content/printVersion/3091012/
16 Steven Wishnia: http://www.alternet.org/print/story/153617/hypocritical_nypd_continues_racist_pot_arrest_crusade
17 Associated Press: http://news.yahoo.com/pot-arrests-top-50k-2011-despite-nypd-order-182052393.html
18 Gabriel Sayegh: http://www.alternet.org/print/story/154012/how_the_nypd%27s_ongoing_petty_pot_arrest_crusade_hurts_the_black_and_latino_community
19 New York World: http://www.thenewyorkworld.com/2012/03/30/study-nypd-violating-kelly-edict/
20 Brent Staples: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/the-cost-of-zero-tolerance.html
21 District Attorney Cyrus Vance: http://manhattanda.org/da-vance-testimony-marijuana-law-reform
22New York Times Editorial: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/opinion/no-crime-real-punishment.html
23 Ailsa Chang, WNYC: http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2012/jun/05/evolution-cuomos-push-lower-pot-arrests/
24Bill Hammond: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/cuomo-pitch-yes-cannabis-article-
1.1089810?localLinksEnabled=false
25 Heather Mac Donald: http://www.city-journal.org/2012/eon0607hm.html
26 Wendy Ruderman & J oseph Goldstein: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/22/in-lawsuit-police-officers-are-accused-of-ignoring-directive-on-marijuana-arrests/
27 Former Mayor Ed Koch: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ed-koch/stopandfrisk-and-the-mari_b_1626941.html
28 Eduardo Porter: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/business/in-rethinking-the-war-on-drugs-start-with-the-numbers.html?pagewanted=all
29 New York Times Editorial: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/opinion/an-ineffective-way-to-fight-crime.html?_r=0
30Bog Gangi: http://www.alternet.org/when-police-are-encouraged-abuse-not-protect
31Issa Kohler-Hausmann, New York Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/war-marijuana-nypd-article-
1.1215819
32Governor Andrew Cuomo: http://marijuana-arrests.com/docs/Gov-Cuomo-on-marijuana-arrests-J an-9-2012.pdf
33 NY RISING, State of the State Report:http://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/themes/governor/sos2013/2013SOSBook.pdf
34Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/14/usa-newyork-bloomberg-idUSL1N0BECHK20130214
35 Wall Street J ournal: http://online.wsj.com/article/AP26213c7e6a3d4a6a8d6454c652af05e9.html
36 NY Daily News Editorial: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/nice-day-dude-article-1.1265725?
37 Harry Levine: http://www.alternet.org/print/buzz-about-nyc-mayors-move-reduce-marijuana-arrests-way-overblown
38 Albany Times Union:http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/181447/david-soares-pushes-for-marijuana-law-changes/
39 Albany Times Union:http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Easing-marijuana-law-in-play-4349842.php#media-61574
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7/29/2019 One Million Police Hours
16/16
HarryLevine,LorenSiegel,andGabrielSayegh,"OneMillionPoliceHours:
Making440,000MarijuanaPossessionArrestsinNewYorkCity,"20022012,
DrugPolicyAllianceandMarijuanaArrestResearchProject,NYC,March2013.
Forpressqueriesandotherinformationcontact:
GabrielSayegh,[email protected],/2126138048office
Forfurtherinformationaboutmarijuanaarrestssee:
http://marijuana-arrests.com