CRIMEFIGHTING NYPD CRACKDOWN ON MINOR OFFENSES IS PAYING OFF

New Yorkers had better watch their step: Arrests for quality-of-life crimes
are on the rise.

Nearly a half-million low-level summonses were issued in the first 11
months of the year, up about 16% from last year, according to police
records obtained by the Daily News.

The focus on quality-of-life crimes, a hallmark of Mayor Giuliani's
administration, has intensified recently; the mayor last month announced a
renewed crackdown, citing his encounter with a marijuana smoker in midtown.

Coincidentally, arrests for smoking or possession of marijuana has fueled
the increase: Nearly 17,000 more pot smokers were busted this year than in
1999.

"It's hard to believe there could be room for more arrests," said Tom
Leighton, who heads the Marijuana Reform Party of New York. "Obviously,
there are far more marijuana smokers than anyone anticipated."

There were 59,945 marijuana smokers collared by cops during the first 11
months of this year, compared with 43,122 over the same period in 1999 - a
39% increase.

In 1992, cops arrested 720 potheads.

The quality-of-life crackdown has affected just about all illegal walks of
life.

Criminal Court summonses for offenses such as urinating and drinking
alcohol in public, farebeating and loitering, as well as unleashed dogs and
squeegee men, are up 16.2% from last year.

Summonses that must be answered at the Environmental Control Board -
including playing loud music, the No. 1 complaint to the mayor's
quality-of-life hotline, are also up.

There were 22,671 Environmental Control Board summonses issued through Dec.
17, versus 20,507 in 1999 for the same period.

Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik said the recent push on quality-of-life
arrests was part of refocusing the way the Police Department tracks
complaints in each neighborhood.

Quality-of-life problems identified by local precincts or from 911 and the
mayor's hotline are now logged on a map, and police commanders are held
accountable for addressing those conditions at monthly crime strategy meetings.

"Our real focus is not the number of arrests, it is crime reduction," Kerik
said. "The more we attack quality-of-life stuff, crime will continue to go
down."

A police spokesman said that since Giuliani announced the quality-of-life
push Nov. 14, calls to the hotline increased 27%.

Norman Siegel, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union,
dismissed the mayor's initiative as a public relations ploy.

"We are concerned that given the mayor's call for increased quality-of-life
arrests, in this climate some officers would engage in abusive conduct and
violate people's civil liberties," he said.The increase in low-level
arrests this year has created more work for the courts.

Arraignments for misdemeanor drug charges have shot up 33% this year -
93,299 versus 69,660 last year, according to a spokesman for the state
Office of Court Administration.

Many of those misdemeanor drug arrests are a result of the NYPD's Operation
Condor, which uses about 1,000 narcotics and patrol cops on overtime to
reduce crime in their commands.

At the same time, felony drug arraignments dropped 8% - 35,815 arraignments
through Nov. 30, compared with 38,868 last year.

"The volume is up, but we've been able to handle it," said Supervising
Judge John Walsh, who noted that arrest-to-arraignment time remains about
21.6 hours citywide - which is below the 24-hour limit.