POT LAW SHOULD REDUCE ARRESTS

The Aurora City Council has passed an ordinance that would allow
police to issue citations to those found to be in possession of less
than 30 grams of marijuana.

Police Chief Greg Thomas has valiantly pledged to continue arresting
and booking these non-violent offenders, despite the new ordinance
that gives his officers the option of issuing citations. In a day and
age when our court dockets are clogged, police resources are already
spread thin, and jails are overcrowded, I have to wonder if Chief
Thomas' tough love is the right policy.

Our laws have done nothing to curb marijuana use. Americans are now
arrested for marijuana possession, not sale or cultivation, at a rate
of one person every 42 seconds.

It would behoove Chief Thomas to use this new ordinance to his, and
the taxpayers', advantage.

Dan Linn

Executive Director, Illinois NORML

Sycamore