Pubdate: Wed, 01 Oct 2014
Source: Tampa Bay Times (FL)
Copyright: 2014 St. Petersburg Times
Contact: http://www.sptimes.com/letters/
Website: http://www.tampabay.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/419
Note: Named the St. Petersburg Times from 1884-2011.
Page: A8
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n777/a06.html

POLICING ON POT NEEDS FRESH LOOK

A recent analysis of arrests for marijuana possession in at least two 
Tampa Bay counties revealed a disturbing trend.

Blacks and whites use marijuana at virtually the same rates, but law 
enforcement is at least six times more likely to arrest a black 
person for possessing the drug. The disparity raises questions about 
whether blacks are being unfairly targeted by police and pushed into 
the criminal justice system in ways that leave permanent scars.

Law enforcement officials should re-examine their approach to 
policing marijuana possession and ensure that enforcement strategies 
are evenly applied in all communities.

A disparity in arrests for marijuana possession is not a new issue. 
Nationwide, blacks are 3.7 times more likely to be locked up for 
possession than whites.

But the Tampa Bay Times ' Stephen Nohlgren and Kameel Stanley 
reported that blacks are arrested for marijuana possession in 
Pinellas and Hillsborough counties at more than twice the national average.

In 2013, St. Petersburg police made 15 misdemeanor arrests for pot 
possession for every 10,000 white residents.

About 95 black residents were arrested per 10,000 black residents on 
the same charge. That's a 6to-1 disparity.

Hillsborough County's numbers were higher, with a 7-to-1 arrest disparity.

And the numbers are equally disparate in other bay area 
municipalities, including Largo, where the black-white arrest ratio 
was about 12-to-1.

Law enforcement officials on both sides of the bay say race does not 
play a role in arrests.

But they did acknowledge differences in the way officers patrol some areas.

In St. Petersburg, for example, police Chief Tony Holloway said 
blacks typically engage in open air drug dealing, making arrests 
easier for police.

Whites who participate in the same activity, Holloway said, do so 
more covertly and avoid suspicion.

Across the country there is a roiling debate about whether marijuana 
should be legalized for recreational or medical use. Several states 
have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, in 
part because of the lopsided effect possession arrests have on black 
males. In Florida, law enforcement officials should use resources 
wisely and concentrate on taking down streetlevel drug dealers and 
their suppliers - not the casual user who walks down the street with 
a joint tucked behind his ear. Holloway already has committed to 
examining his department's operating procedures. Other law 
enforcement officials should follow that example.

Arrest records matter.

They can scar offenders for a lifetime and affect their ability to 
obtain employment, housing, mortgages, student loans and public 
assistance. The Justice Department has called for a re-examination of 
drug laws, particularly with respect to low-level, nonviolent offenders.

The Florida Legislature should revisit the state's sentencing laws 
with an eye toward addressing heavy-handed punishments for relatively 
small amounts of marijuana.

The time for a re-examination is now.

In Florida, law enforcement officials should use resources wisely and 
concentrate on taking down drug dealers and their suppliers - not the 
casual user.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom