NYPD to Ticket, Not Arrest, in Most Public Marijuana-Smoking Cases (New York Law Journal)
New York Law Journal, June 19, 2018
NYPD to Ticket, Not Arrest, in Most Public Marijuana-Smoking Cases (New York Law Journal)
“The New York City Police Department has announced that officers will issue tickets for most cases of public marijuana-smoking rather than make arrests, but the city’s district attorneys remain divided on how their offices plan to approach the cases. Starting on Sept. 1 under the directive, officers will issue criminal summonses instead of arresting offenders. Arrests are not to be made unless the offenders are on probation or parole, have outstanding warrants, have a history of violence or if their smoking poses a public safety risk, such as smoking marijuana behind the wheel of an automobile. The policy change, which was the product of a 30-day working group that Police Commissioner James O’Neill formed last month, is expected to reduce overall marijuana arrests by 10,000 based on enforcement figures from 2017….The New York City Bar Association, which has called on state lawmakers to pass legislation to legalize marijuana for recreational use, also applauded the policy shift, calling it a ‘step in the right direction.'”
