Pubdate: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 Source: Hull Daily Mail (UK) Copyright: 2011 Northcliffe Newspapers Group Ltd Contact: http://www.thisishull.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1181 Author: Carl Wagner THE PEOPLE OF HULL DESERVE TO KNOW WHY In 2007, Gordon Brown caved in to tabloid pressure, ignored the advice of his own experts, and took the irrational decision to reclassify cannabis as a class B drug. He was fully supported by Humberside Police Chief Constable Tim Hollis, who promised a robust and sustained assault on Hull's 30,000 pot users. Mr Hollis has been true to his word: thousands of police man hours have been spent smashing down doors and invading family homes. Hundreds of otherwise law-biding citizens have been dragged through the courts, careers have been ruined, children traumatised, and more lives and families have been destroyed. Meanwhile, the real criminals have been ignored; burglary has risen by almost 30%, car crime by 62%, and there has been a massive leap in violent crime. If this policy of harm maximisation is to continue, the people of Hull deserve to know why it is in the public interest to chase otherwise law-biding pot smokers whilst ignoring crimes with victims. Carl Wagner - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom