Below I have included a link to an article about marijuana possession, police discretion, and "pot pat-downs" in New York City. Goff (2017) has suggested that offence seriousness is one of the primary determinants of police discretionary decision-making yet marijuana possession would not seem to be a very serious crime.

PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN DETAIL:

1. What other factors do you think might be influenced some of the discretionary "pat-downs" for marijuana possession among NYPD officers.
2. What internal approaches could the NYPD adopt to reduce the frequency of these "pat-downs"?
3. How does this issue related to the controversial Toronto police practice of carding?

Reading: attachment below and this link

https://www.cbc.caews/canada/toronto/a-year-after-ontario-moved-to-restrict-carding-has-anything-changed-1.4565297

Manufacturing wunderangry program, which focuses on sup- cally based on assumptions that Quotes Pot Pat-Downs posedly suspicious individuals in the average citizen is incapable Jacob Sullum predominantly black and Latina of successfully employing a neighborhoods. pan in self-defense " they write. "I've never used marijuana THIRTY-FIVE years ago, the New Last year New York police But the authors find that "such and I don't intend to, but York state legislature decriminal- stopped and questioned a record cases represent an earendingly it's just one of those things ized marijuana possession. Yet 634, 130 people without prob small minority of gun uses by that I think: This war on numbers released in February able cause. As with the pot buses, otherwise law abiding citizens drugs just hasn't suc- show that the New York Police 87 percent of these encounters and that a great number of crag reeded.* G Department (NYPD] last year involved blacks or Latinos, and edies-murders, rapes, assaults, -Christian evangelical arrested go,684 people for car- about half included pat-downs. robberies-have been howruined broadcaster Pat Robertson, rying small amounts of pot, the The New York Chil Liberties by self-defence gun uses." in an interview with The second highest total ever. Union says chese stops have The newspaper method likely New York Times, March 8 The key to this mystery is sepcupled since Mayor Michael undercounts the incidents, since the distinction between mere bloomberg took office in mood. most defensive gun uses-cape- powerssion of marijuana, which cially ones that don't result in the "I can show you $350 bil- is a citable offense subject to a gun being fired-never make the Tion worth of waste or fraud maximum fine of $106 as long Mrajuring around my dofrom papers. The case studies and the in our present federal gov. as the amount is no more than Gun Stats conclusions the authors draw emment, and we don't have 1f grams (about nine-tenths of provide a wide picture of the the gonads to stand up and in ounce), and "public display," Brian Doherty varied human circumstances in And some of that to pay for which is a Class B misdemeanor, Gun control advocates empha which gun possession is a clear this?" punishable by up to three size the easy to count number of benefit. G -Sen. Tom Cobum months in jail. Research by crimes committed with firearms. (R.Okla.) talking to report Queens College sociologist But what about crimes that are ers about not voting fora Harry Levine indicates that New prevented by guns? payroll tax cut unless it's York cops routinely convert the As historian Clayton E. Cra Taser Cams fully paid for, Talking Points first offense inco the second by mer and activist David Burnett Lucy Steigerwald Memo, February 16 removing poc during put downs explain in a new Cato Institute or instructing people to reveal study, attempts to estimate how POLICE often tout Taser Incer- any contraband they may be often Americans use guns for national's stum guns, used by "Tve been in hearings carrying self-defense have generated a 17,000 police departments for the last three days. Last September, responding wide range of estimates, from nationwide, as lifesaving tools. Shit, I think I should get to criticism of such bogus busts, tens of thousands to a million But Amnesty International some kind of award going New York Police Commissioner peryear. Cramer and Burnett's has a different opinion of the through that crap..I need Raymond Kelly issued a direc- paper, "Tough Targets: When "nonlethal weapons, reporting a new combat badge for rive reminding his officers that Criminals Face Armed Regis- that Tasers are to blame for goo going to Capitol Hill." "the public display of marihuana tance From Citizens," does not dearhs since 2901. -Defense Secretary Leon must be an activity undertaken settle the issue, but it attempts In March the weapon's man- Panetta talking to airmen in of the subject's own volition" to balance our understanding of afacturer debuted a new product Louisiana, quoted in Time, and that the charge is not legally firearms in America by present- that should appeal to cops and February 17 appropriate "if the marihuana ing information derived from a critics alike. The $1,000 Asun recovered was disclosed on too0-case sample of defensive Flex camera is the size of a cigar, public view at an officer's discre- gun uses reported in newspapers weighs half an ounce, and clips tion," So far New York's Finest from jogg through boil. onto police officers' clothing or do not seem to be listening. They Government opposition to sunglasses. Images and sound arrested more pot smokers last expanding gun rights * is typi- cannot be deleted via the cam- year than they did in 1010, and era, although cops can turn the defense attorneys report that devices off. cops continue to manufacture Video of comencious incl- misdemeanors through coercion dents is stored online, which or trickery. should help prevent theft, evi- Since 19ge the annual num- dence tampering, and destruct ber of minor pot busts in New tion of footage. Taser Inter York City has more than quint- national GEO Rick Smith told pled, and Levine calculates that The New Tire Timwn that video 87 percent have involved blacks of police encounters can help or Latinos, even though whites settle lawsuits and encourage (judging from survey data) are plea deals. "Police spend $a bi- at least as likely to smoke pot. lion to $2.6 billion a year paying This disparity is not surprising, off complaints about brutality." because the marijuana arrests he said, "Plus, people plead out seem to be largely an outgrowth when there is video," of the NYPD's "stop and frisk" Already 55,000 Tasers are reason | June 3012 15