News I-75 Report
posted by on January 7 at 15:54 PM
A panel tasked with tracking the effects of voter-approved I-75 (making marijuana arrests the lowest law enforcement priority in Seattle) offered its final report today.
From the Executive Summary:
It appears that following the adoption of I-75, there were reductions in both the number of referrals of marijuana-related incidents from the Seattle Police Department to the City Attorney, and in the number of cases filed by the City Attorney that charged individuals with possession of marijuana. However, the Panel was unable to conclude definitively that these reductions were attributable to I-75’s passage.
Bearing in mind that the numbers of marijuana case referrals and filings were already small before I-75’s passage, the Panel also concluded that there was no evidence of any adverse effect of the implementation of I-75 in any of the substantive areas examined, including: (a) no evident increase in marijuana use among young people, (b) no evident increase in crime, and (c) no adverse impact on public health. The Panel did observe some evidence of arguably positive effects, assuming that the caseload reduction was caused by the passage of I-75: (a) fewer adults experiencing the consequences of involvement in the criminal justice system due to their personal use of marijuana; and (b) a small reduction in the amount of public safety resources dedicated to marijuana possession cases, accompanied by a corresponding slight increase in the availability of these resources for other public safety priorities.
Says Dominic Holden, a Stranger freelance writer and I-75 task force member, “The voters got exactly what they voted for: a drop in marijuana only arrests and a transfer of resources to other more important crimes.”
Indeed, according to the report, in the year prior to I-75’s implementation (2003), there were 50 marijuana-only arrests. In the following years: 20, 25, and 30 arrests. While it’s trending back up, it should also be noted that the crime index overall increased, so marijuana arrests are staying proportionally low.
Interesting note (on page nine of the report): Arrests of white males for mary jane went from 75 to 50 between 2003 and now. Arrests of black males went from 94 to 76. So, arrests of white males, fewer to begin with, dropped more dramatically, 33%, while arrests of black males dropped about 19%. Sigh.
From Holden’s prepared remarks to City Council this moring:
Following the passage of I-75, the Panel’s findings suggest a potential cost savings in criminal justice resources from 2003 to 2004 of $66,190 that were made available for other crimes. This represents over one hundred police and prosecutor hours, and savings of other costs, including public defense and incarceration, that were freed to address other crimes. Similar savings can be extrapolated for following years. In essence, these savings allowed our limited law-enforcement resources to be used to fight more serious, violent, and dangerous crimes.
The number of arrests are so low, so comparing before/after I-75, and the racial breakdown is statistically almost meaningless. What would be at least as interesting is comparing the year-to-year and racial trend with the national trend, and against other US cities of similar size. I think Seattle would look fantastic in that case.
They should just stop arresting people completely.
And they should make speed legal again, it would make the meth epidemic go away overnight.
So who are the people the cops are tackling on the streets downtown? Four times last week I saw blue vans, cops on bikes, scruffy doods with their faces in the sidewalk, hands behind their backs, tied with plastic ties.
I also saw cops taking baggies. Is that prop I-75 or something else?
"a Stranger freelancer writer"
wow, i thought he was a staffer. geez louise. Who does one have to blow-job to get some freelance work? please say it's a non-TG female.
You have to be really talented, @4
No sexual favors necessary.
Now I wish the legislature would consider doing away with the mandatory minimums on misdemeanor possession charges. It's ridiculous that a 1st offense DUI (a gross misdemeanor and a serious safety risk) and a 1st offense possession of mj (a misdemeanor that generally doesn't carry a safety risk on its own) both require 1 day in jail.
Think of all the money saved in police resources, jail cells, jury trials, public defenders, and appeals.
Think of all that extra cop time to hunt down rapists, for example.
Now, if we'd just do as BC and other Canadian provinces have, we could save even more money.
The only I-75 that truly matters is the one that runs from South Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, you sniveling left-coast bitches.
EAST SIDE!
@8: Enjoy your East Coast. Really. We don't want it.
@3:
its not just pot that's being dealt downtown - its junk, meth, crack.
Comments Closed
In order to combat spam, we are no longer accepting comments on this post (or any post more than 14 days old).