Pubdate: Sat, 16 Jun 2012
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Copyright: 2012 Chicago Tribune Company
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/IuiAC7IZ
Website: http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/82
Author: Kristen Mack and Hal Dardick

MAYOR BACKS POT DECRIMINALIZATION

Police Would Be Able to Ticket for Minor Offenses

After deliberating for months, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday decided to
throw his public support behind a plan to issue tickets to people
caught with small amounts of marijuana instead of arresting them.

Under the proposal, police officers would have the discretion to issue
citations with fines ranging from $100 to $500 for people carrying 15
grams or less of pot.

Last fall, Ald. Danny Solis, 25th, introduced a similar plan, selling
the idea as a way to raise revenue for the city and free up police to
chase more serious criminals. Emanuel is getting behind a modified
version of Solis' original ordinance.

"When the ordinance was first introduced, I asked the Chicago Police
Department to do a thorough analysis to determine if this reform
balanced public safety and common-sense rules that save taxpayer
dollars to reinvest in putting more officers on the street," Emanuel
said in a statement. "The result is an ordinance that allows us to
observe the law, while reducing the processing time for minor
possession of marijuana - ultimately freeing up police officers for
the street."

Currently people caught in possession face a misdemeanor charge
punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,500 fine.

Chicago Police Department statistics indicate that last year there
were 18,298 arrests for possession of less than 10 grams of pot. Each
case involves about four officers - two arresting and two transporting
officers - and places an additional burden on the Cook County court
and jail system, according to the mayor's office.

Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy estimates that the new
ordinance will free up more than 20,000 hours of police time, which he
said is the equivalent of about $1 million in savings.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle called for the
decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana a year ago. She said
people arrested for possessing small quantities of drugs often clog up
the system and that poor and minority families are disproportionately
affected.

Those comments began a debate among local elected officials and law
enforcement. Cook County already allowed citations to be issued to
people caught with small amounts of pot in areas patrolled by the
Sheriff's Department. But Preckwinkle said that to make a real
difference, decriminalization needs to include the city.

Preckwinkle said she began talking to Emanuel about the issue last
year. When she asked him about his time frame in May, she said, "He
still hadn't made up his mind." On Friday, Preckwinkle said Chicago
and the county had reached a decisive moment.

"I'm very happy that the mayor has come around on this issue, and I
presume that there will be expedited action, and it's one of the
things that will help us reduce our jail population," Preckwinkle
said. "You know, 70 percent of the people in our jail are awaiting
trial for nonviolent offenses, at a cost of $165 (each) a day. So it's
extraordinarily expensive to keep people in jail."

Those resources should be reallocated to putting people in drug
treatment programs and getting supportive housing for people who are
struggling with mental illness, Preckwinkle said.

Emanuel is in Prague celebrating his daughter's bat mitzvah. He will
not be back in Chicago until Tuesday to answer questions about how his
thinking evolved. But his support is likely to help ease aldermanic
approval.

Solis noted that his original proposal was backed by 26 aldermen -
enough votes to pass it on the 50-member City Council. But he conceded
that some of his colleagues are against the concept.

"I'm hopeful that we'll get the necessary votes, especially with the
mayor behind it," Solis said. "I think it's the right ordinance at the
right time, right now, especially in light of the aspect of getting
more officers on the street instead of spending time processing
paperwork and in court."

Police will be able to focus on more serious crimes, such as drive-by
shootings, burglaries and assaults, Solis said, adding that he hopes
the extra revenue from the fines will be dedicated to the Police
Department.
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