That would be the work of a restrictive government, or so it will be sold by Marijuana advocates.
And on the other, that it could cause a slippery slope resulting in similar legislation to the one in Oregon decriminalizing possession of hard drugs, which is a measure everyone in the country should follow very carefully.
So this is not technically correct, but it is tangentially related, as you will soon get some data points on hidden crime:
State’s Attorney, Mayor’s Office, and Community Partners Announce Success of Covid Criminal Justice Policies
Nice Title, let's dig in, shall we?
One year ago, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office (SAO), consulted with public health experts to adopt a progressive, common sense approach to crime and slow the spread of COVID-19 in prison and jails. As a result, the office decided to stop prosecuting the following offenses:
- CDS (drug) possession
- Attempted distribution CDS
- Paraphernalia possession
- Prostitution
- Trespassing
- Minor traffic offenses
- Open container
- Rogue and vagabond
- Urinating/defecating in public
If this does not make you clench. It should. All of a sudden traffic can resemble that of a dense third world city, people will be openly drunk on the streets, and you will wake up feeling the full San Francisco experience through your nostrils. However, Baltimore sees this as an absolute win, because...
The results of these policies have been nothing short of successful. According to data from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the overall incarcerated population in Baltimore City is down 18% during COVID and the data reveals there has been a 39% decrease in people entering the criminal justice system compared to this time last year.
Emphasis theirs. And...
- Violent crime is down 20% (comparing March 13, 2020 and March 13, 2021)
- Property crime is down 36% (same period)
The data showed that 911 calls about drug use, public intoxication and sex work (a proxy for public concern) did not increase following the policy; rather, from March – December 2020, there was a 33% reduction in calls mentioning drugs and a 50% reduction in calls mentioning sex work compared to the prior 2 years.
This sounds great...by itself. However, it seems like this celebration hinges rather heavily on people entering the justice system and the total incarcerated population as success metrics. If we apply a reductio ad absurdum to this, you could achieve these goals by merely failing to prosecute all offenses. This is before we get to the much more subjective conversation on whether those offenses are actually minor (jaywalking is, someone breaking into your property is most assuredly not.)
A reduction in 911 calls is also to be expected as people were less mobile during the pandemic. Not to mention, you undermine the trust in the 911 system if they do nothing after you call them, making you less likely to call them in case of an emergency. With no means to defend themselves, even through means allowable by law, people are at the mercy of these offenders until their minor crime becomes a major one. At which point one can expect it is already too late for anyone to do anything about it but take statements or call an ambulance.
The press release is linked so you can make your own conclusions. However, I believe I have given it a fair shake. It concerns me to no end that State and DA offices continue to put forward these measures, instead of creating recovery and support programs to actually address the issue while maintaining strict policies for repeat offenders of people who are beyond help. The Federal government also seems to have no posture about this beyond tacit knowledge.