Pubdate: Wed, 05 Dec 2007
Source: Evening Standard (London, UK)
Copyright: 2007 Associated Newspapers Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/914
Author: Justin Davenport, Evening Standard
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

CANNABIS WARNINGS GO UP BY 50 PER CENT

The number of people given warnings by police after being caught 
carrying cannabis in London rocketed by nearly 50 per cent in the past year.

Figures show about 30,000 were given official warnings, compared with 
just over 21,000 issued in 2005/06.

The Met said today the warnings are "useful and effective" and their 
rising number reflects efforts to tackle crimes such as street 
robbery and burglary.

A spokesman said: "They are a bi-product of tackling and disrupting 
priority crime as well as dealing with issues raised by communities 
who see cannabis use fuelling anti-social behaviour and other low-level crime.

"Cannabis warnings are also time efficient in dealing with this crime 
and allow officers to remain on patrol and visible to the public."

The warnings system was introduced when the Government downgraded 
cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug three years ago.

The number of warnings issued in London now makes up more than a 
third of those handed out across the UK.

But police insiders admit some borough commanders are using the 
sanction to boost crime detection rates.

Earlier this year, Surrey Chief Constable Bob Quick admitted officers 
were targeting minor offenders, such as shoplifters or people caught 
with cannabis, rather than hardened criminals in order to hit 
government targets. The result was official league tables were 
misleading, he said.

Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair recently told the London Assembly: 
"The Met has some understanding of the comments expressed by Mr Quick."

However, he pointed out that the Met's detection rate for serious 
assaults was running at 33 per cent, the third annual increase in a row.

But one senior officer said: "There is a serious question over how we 
increase the detection rate. By using cannabis warnings and other 
means, such as fixed penalty notices, we are essentially creating 
crime to solve crime.

"The result is that we are victimising a significant number of young 
people by targeting them for offences such as cannabis possession."

The figures show wide variations between London boroughs in the 
number of cannabis warnings issued.

The biggest total of 3,371 was in Westminster, reflecting the size of 
the area and the high number of anti-terrorist stop and searches 
carried out there.

Other inner-city boroughs such as Brent, which recorded the second 
highest number of warnings - 1,978 - and Lambeth, Southwark, Camden 
and Hackney all issued higher-than-average numbers. The lowest number 
of warnings - 190 - was recorded in Sutton.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom