This Is New York On Drugs
What other explanation could there be for going after a bunch of potheads to the tune of $75 million a year? Jesse Levine writes at Alternet:
Each arrest costs at least $1,000 to $2,000 (conservatively estimated), and in 2010 the NYPD made nearly 1,000 arrests a week. The 50,383 people arrested for marijuana in 2010 were all fingerprinted, photographed, and most spent 24 hours or more in jail. In all cases, marijuana possession was the highest charge or the only charge....Mayor Bloomberg has famously admitted to smoking marijuana and enjoying it. Yet on Bloomberg's watch the police have arrested more people for possessing marijuana than the last three mayors combined. Since Bloomberg was elected in 2002, the NYPD has arrested 350,000 people for possessing less than 7/8 of an ounce of marijuana at a cost to taxpayers of $500 million to $1 billion or more.
Well, they're not alone in their stupidity... L.A. is apparently trying to ban raves again.
Cousin Dave at March 15, 2011 11:12 PM
Yes, but only for poor people, if you are rich, you can rave all you want ;)
Kat at March 15, 2011 11:32 PM
"Tough on drugs" is an easy political move for those who want to burnish their crime-fighting credentials, even if it is a poor use of resources.
Christopher at March 16, 2011 9:23 AM
Much of government asks this question:
"What policies can we pursue which will cause people to gladly support our spending money to hire our family, friends, cousins, and political supporters, and buy supporting equipment and services from the companies we have formed."
Benefits to society are mostly irrelevant. Government actions only need to seem beneficial. There is no need that they actually be beneficial.
This explains almost all of the ironies about government. This answers why it continues programs and policies far beyond the point they are effective for anything, and even beyond the point where reasearch shows that the programs are useless or counterpoductive.
Government pretends to be thoughtful, knowledge based, and a careful planner. Actually, it embodies bias, ignorance, inertia, and plans that are untested theory. It plays to the mob, not the mind.
Andrew_M_Garland at March 16, 2011 6:28 PM
This is what happens when you privatize. Since most of our prisons are now owned by private corporations with lobbyists, our prison population has doubled.
Politicians are lobbied to pass more "get tough on crime" laws... The prison corporations get more customers and we the taxpayers, foot the bill.
Prisons eliminate educational, job training and drug/ alcohol programs to increase profits and recidivism and, again, we the taxpayers, pay the price so they can pocket more cash.
But this is how free market capitalism is SUPPOSED to work, is it not? It's working just fine for our healthcare system. Let's not rock the boat.
Sue at March 17, 2011 5:21 AM
To Sue,
Can you point to some information that shows privately run prisons cost more per inmate than public ones?
I assume that our representatives in government have oversight of all prisons. They must agree with the current situation.
You say "Politicians are lobbied to pass more get tough on crime laws". How would prison operators have such power, unless they were giving kickbacks, and our sweet politicians were accepting kickbacks? Again, what is your source?
Politicians have complete control of funding, contracts, and oversight. They have the power. If they are giving sweetheart deals, then aren't they to blame?
Are you really proposing that public employee unions have less power to subvert government than the evil, private corporations?
Politicians always imply that "We were helpless in the face of those offers to bribe us. We are only human."
Andrew_M_Garland at March 17, 2011 12:04 PM
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