Police Move On To Other Crime Due To New Mmj Laws

[trix]

Police in Washington divert efforts to other crimes due to marijuana law

 

03/20/14 09:26 PM —Updated 03/21/14 12:23 PM

 

The number of misdemeanor charges against adults over the age of 21 for marijuana possession have severely dropped in Washington state after voters approved a ballot measure last election that legalized recreational marijuana use.

 

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the new marijuana laws have allowed law enforcement officials to spend more time on other criminal offenses instead of marijuana charges. 

 

ACLU’s Washington state chapter found that in 2013, the number of filed misdemeanor marijuana possession charges were 120 cases, which is down from 5,531 cases in 2012. 

 

The state ballot initiative has freed up time for police officers, the ACLU says, and has re-focused the efforts that are typically exerted on misdemeanor marijuana offenses – including basic investigation, paperwork and court time – to other criminal cases per day. 

 

“The data strongly suggest that I-502 has achieved one of its primary goals - to free up limited police and prosecutorial resources,” state ACLU’s criminal justice policy counsel Mark Cooke said in a news release.

 

“The hope is that could free up scarce limited public safety resources to focus on more pressing needs,” Cooke said.

 

The Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd, 2/21/14, 10:53 AM ET

 

Washington State slow to implement marijuana regulation

 

There is still some concern about the ballot measure with police officers worrying about underage users potentially getting their hands on marijuana. Currently, Washington’s law prohibits people under 21 from possessing it, and adults 21 years or older may possess up to “one ounce of usable marijuana.”

 

But numbers from Washington's Administrative Office of the Courts shows that misdemeanor possession charges have fallen in the past two years among people under 21. Last year, the number of marijuana charges was 1,963. In 2012, the number was 3,469 and in 2011, the number was 4,127.

 

Cooke says that racial disparities still exist in the number of marijuana charges. Among the 120 possession charges last year, the data showed that black adults were three times more likely to have marijuana possession charges filed against them than white adults. This ratio also pertained to the data before the ballot measure was passed in 2012. 

[trix]

"ACLU’s Washington state chapter found that in 2013, the number of filed misdemeanor marijuana possession charges were 120 cases, which is down from 5,531 cases in 2012. "

Now that's a dramatic difference  I'd say for sure!

Trix

 

[t-pain]

a great step forward

[t-pain]

if you take away the police tools to arrest people (posession) like in new york, police will find a way around it (showing marijuana in public) and arrest people that way.

 

its not legal until its 100% free to grow, like tomatoes.

[Wild Bill]

What a novel idea, police fighting crime! Just like on TV.

[GregS]

Leo can kiss civil asset forfeiture for cannabis use good bye. How refreshing. They're going to have to find ways to earn a living.

Edited March 22, 2014 by GregS

[GrowGoddess]

This might not be a good thing: Unfortunately I think you are right greg. The problem though, the actual police officers don't care about the department's money, they just want to be able execute violent behavior.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SzpZbkgjJ8

 

Now they are attacking campers. All this guy was doing is camping. Then he was murdered right after they detonated a flash grenade right in front of him. Then empty clips into him because he did not immediately get down as they were shouting the order to him. Not sure it was even possible for him to do so, as he was standing on a rocky hillside. Maybe he could not even hear them after the flash grenade? I am old school and all but I still like to play a game of Halo here and there. When I get shot with a flash grenade in Halo, it seriously disorients my character in the game. Isn't that the point of a flash grenade?

 

So basically, in the video, the way I see it, being a pro at video games and all LOL, they deliberately shot the flash grenade so they could murder him, they knew he would not be able to comply to their commands.....

 

Be careful what you wish for........

[GrowGoddess]

This may be a better video of it.

 

http://video.abqjournal.com/APD-Fatal-Foothills-Standoff--Helmet-Cam-25739481#.Uy4FF6KVrFR

 

Freaky

[Norby]

I'm pretty sure those were rubber bullets and bean bag rounds.  I think he's still alive unless something happened afterwards.  I agree, uncalled for behavior for a knife.  They just want to play with their toys they've been given.

[GrowGoddess]

I'm pretty sure those were rubber bullets and bean bag rounds.  I think he's still alive unless something happened afterwards.  I agree, uncalled for behavior for a knife.  They just want to play with their toys they've been given.

 

Well, I hate to burst your bubble but, I am pretty familiar with assault weapons. Those were .223 bullets exiting the weapons hitting that man. I hate to say this, but he was dead before they shot him in the butt and then cut the dog loose on him. His leg was still kicking from nerves. You can cut a persons head off and still have body parts moving.

 

They did not use any beanbags or rubber bullets. That was murder period.

 

Knife? I didn't see one. Yes, he did have a past record where knives were involved, but I did not see one in the video nor did I see or hear him threaten anyone. All I saw was the police use that yellow shotgun to discharge a flash grenade. After the victim was disoriented from that flash grenade, he was then repeatedly shot from multiple directions with assault weapons.

 

http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/man-killed-in-foothills-officerinvolved-shooting-had-long-criminal-history/25098132

 

Like I said, I hate to burst your bubble, but we don't live in the goody goody country like it used to be. I have all kinds of videos and news stories that are far worse than this one saved to my computer. Yes, our own police, I have a video of them executing a crippled man in a parking lot. Six police officers each emptied an entire clip into a man in a wheel chair because he would not drop his small pocket knife.

 

Unfortunately, times have changed drastically from what it used to be. We were promised change. Well, we are getting it!