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In a bit of happy news for a healthy percentage of New Yorkers, the state legislature appears to be on the brink of decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana in New York City. This isn't an effort to curtail crime – it's an (overdue) effort to rein in the NYPD and stop-and-frisk. The data shows why.
During his State of the City address in February, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested that marijuana possession would no longer result in the person being jailed overnight. "It's consistent with the law," he said, "it's the right thing to do and it will allow us to target police resources where they're needed most." It is indeed consistent with the law, as Gothamist notes.
Possession of small amounts of marijuana was decriminalized in New York State in 1977 for 25 grams or less, as long as it's not in public view. But the NYPD, especially under Bloomberg and Giuliani administrations, has widely disregarded this law, and the department's stop-and-frisk policy has been instrumental in driving up the numbers of pot possession arrests.
"Stop-and-frisk" is the name of the New York City Police Department's policy of approaching people on the street and performing a search. Ostensibly, the police officer needs a reason for the stop, but since the necessary reason basically amounts to "he looked suspicious," use of the practice increased dramatically last decade. Here are the stops, broken down by race, from the ACLU.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: theatlanticwire.com
Author: Philip Bump
Contact: Contact Us - The Atlantic Wire
Website: New York Thinks Decriminalizing Pot Is Easier than Confronting Bloomberg - Philip Bump - The Atlantic Wire
During his State of the City address in February, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested that marijuana possession would no longer result in the person being jailed overnight. "It's consistent with the law," he said, "it's the right thing to do and it will allow us to target police resources where they're needed most." It is indeed consistent with the law, as Gothamist notes.
Possession of small amounts of marijuana was decriminalized in New York State in 1977 for 25 grams or less, as long as it's not in public view. But the NYPD, especially under Bloomberg and Giuliani administrations, has widely disregarded this law, and the department's stop-and-frisk policy has been instrumental in driving up the numbers of pot possession arrests.
"Stop-and-frisk" is the name of the New York City Police Department's policy of approaching people on the street and performing a search. Ostensibly, the police officer needs a reason for the stop, but since the necessary reason basically amounts to "he looked suspicious," use of the practice increased dramatically last decade. Here are the stops, broken down by race, from the ACLU.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: theatlanticwire.com
Author: Philip Bump
Contact: Contact Us - The Atlantic Wire
Website: New York Thinks Decriminalizing Pot Is Easier than Confronting Bloomberg - Philip Bump - The Atlantic Wire
