Last fall, New York City altered its policy regarding the possession of small amounts of marijuana, reducing the penalty to violations and summonses instead of arrests. Since the shift—*gasp*—arrests have dropped.
Citing statistics from the Division of Criminal Justice Services, the Associated Press reports that low-level marijuana arrests in the city were down significantly in both November and December compared to the past:
After a mid-November turn toward violations and summonses instead of misdemeanor arrests for carrying modest amounts of pot, such arrests plunged by 75 percent in December compared to last year, from about 1,820 to 460, according to state Division of Criminal Justice Services statistics obtained by The Associated Press. The November numbers fell 42 percent, from 2,200 to 1,280.
The Associated Press adds that summonses even decreased by 10 percent during the same period. While many feel the drop is a step in the right direction, they also acknowledge that it's too soon make any snap judgments. As the Associated Press notes, the drop in low-level arrests and summonses across the board is also a reflection of the NYPD's decision to basically stop working following the deaths of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in December.
[via Associated Press]
