Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYPD Spent One Million Hours On Marijuana Arrests In Ten Years, Despite Staff Cutbacks
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 19, 2013
Modified Mar 19, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 19, 2013
Modified Mar 19, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A new report [PDF] issued by the Drug Policy Alliance shows from 2002 to 2012 the NYPD has spent at least one million hours arresting and processing low-level marijuana arrests. The amount of manpower expended to prosecute the possession of a substance that was essentially decriminalized in 1977 is all the more shocking when you consider that the NYPD has been drastically cutting its number of uniformed personnel since 2002: the year Bloomberg took office, 37,000 officers were on patrol. Next year, the size of the force will dip to a 21 year-low, at 34,500. It's almost as if officers had to arrest or cite a certain number of people every month, or something.
The report was created at the behest of the New York City Council and the New York State Legislature. It includes a litany of quotes from experts, professors, and journalists, but here's the most depressing, courtesy of former Minneapolis Chief of Police and Bronx police commander Anthony Bouza:
New York City’s current marijuana arrests are exactly analogous to the roundup of gays in the 1950s and 1960s that Mayor Lindsay stopped. And the offenses represent exactly the same level of risk to the public. Making marijuana arrests a priority is a waste of police resources and does not reduce street violence. Illegal, trivial, meaningless arrests undermine confidence in the justice system and corrupt the enforcers.
At a hearing before the City Council Public Safety committee last week, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly was asked if the NYPD continues to arrest people who display marijuana in public view at the request of a police officer: "No. We put that out as internal policy." Kelly noted that overall, marijuana arrests are going down, which is true. Last year saw a drop of 22%.
The authors of the study stress that the numbers are conservative. As wasteful as one million hours are, the 440,000 people who were arrested for minor marijuana possession between 2002 and 2012 (most of them black or brown) spent at least five million hours in police custody. Thankfully, broader decriminalization measures could alleviate the issue very soon.
Tagged
drug war
marijuana
marijuana arrests
Ray Kelly
original
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Bronx woman found dead and infant in critical condition after balcony fall, NYPD says
Police say it's still unclear whether the pair jumped, fell or were pushed.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 6, 2026 at 7:28 a.m. ET
After Trump defunding, thousands losing rental assistance in NYC may finally have relief
The Trump administration issued new guidance outlining a plan to replace expiring rental assistance vouchers with a new program.
By
David Brand
News
After Trump defunding, thousands losing rental assistance in NYC may finally have relief
The Trump administration issued new guidance outlining a plan to replace expiring rental assistance vouchers with a new program.
By
David Brand
Blind man dismissed from grand jury duty can sue NY for discrimination, judge rules
By
Samantha Max
Gatorade recall affects drinks sold in New York and New Jersey
By
Giulia Heyward
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
By
Caroline Lewis
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .