This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

Jeffries Applauds NYPD Change in Policy For Marijuana Arrests

Commish Kelly says police officers will cease arrests for small quantities of marijuana

NYPD Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly on Monday announced an operations order for police officers to cease the arrest of NYC'ers for small quantities of marijuana, if the marijuana is not in full view, and also when complying with an officer’s demand to “empty their pockets.”

The move by Commissioner Kelly came after mounting public pressure from both elected officials and advocates who’ve accused the NYPD of ignoring state law, which states that possession of a small amount of marijuana is a violation and not a crime.

Advocates for the policy change say that thousands of people in the city will no longer be subjected to “improper” stop and frisk practices.

Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“This is an important step forward, especially for young black and Latino men in Bedford-Stuyvesant, in East New York and in Crown Heights and in communities of color all across the city of New York,” said Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, at a press conference yesterday at One Police Plaza.

“The police commissioner has acknowledged that his policy of arresting and criminalizing tens of thousands of young black and Latino men for possession of small quantities of marijuana was entirely inappropriate and we’re glad that he has reinforced our belief that the policy and the practice should end.”

Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In 2010, more than 54,000 people were arrested for possessing marijuana in New York State. 50,300 of those arrests were made in New York City, making it the most frequent arrest citywide.

Iin the first half of 2011, marijuana arrests increased 9 percent over the same period last year.

Advocates argue that the rapid escalation of arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana has been a huge burden to taxpayers,a with an estimated $75 million spent last year arresting and jailing offenders, according to the local Drug Policy Alliance.

“Hopefully now that the police are acknowledging that there is racial disparity with these arrests, this can lead to more policy changes down the line,” said Alfredo Carrasquillo, a community organizer with the local activist group VOCAL New York that also attended the press conference.

Going forward, Assemblyman Jeffries and New York State Senator Mark Grisanti are working on a bill that changes public view of possession of small quantities of marijuana from a misdemeanor to a violation.

City Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito has introduced a City Council resolution that Councilmember Jumaane Williams is sponsoring that supports the passage of this legislation.

“Commissioner Kelly has finally answered the alarm sounded by advocates and our communities,” said Williams.

“However, it will take continued vigilance on all of our parts to make sure that officers on patrol are heeding the message and bring an end to the racial inequality and fiscal waste of this disturbing trend of illegal arrests. We also must continue to push for the bipartisan state legislation that will ensure this order is made permanent for all New Yorkers.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.