BLACK PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO BE CHARGED WITH CANNABIS OFFENCES

Black people are more likely to face criminal charges for cannabis
possession than white people, new research by London's Metropolitan
Police has found.

The same group are also more likely to be stopped and accused of
possession in the first place, the study has shown.

According to the recent monitoring, carried out by Scotland Yard to
look at how possession of cannabis offences have been enforced, a
total of 24,916 people were accused between January and April 2006.

Of those, the three largest ethnic groups to face accusations were
African and Caribbean, with 9,925 people (40 per cent), followed by
White Europeans, 9,477 people (38 per cent) and then Indian and
Pakistani, 3,260 people, (13 per cent).

Further analysis showed people from an African or Caribbean
background were the most likely to go on to be arrested and charged
over cannabis possession.

Of those accused of the offence, 18.5 per cent or 1,844 people were
later charged, compared to 14 per cent or 1,331 white Europeans.

However, 19.3 per cent of white Europeans (1,837 people) were given a
caution, compared to 14.2 per cent of people from African or
Caribbean communities (1,411 people).

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said further work was needed to
understand why more African and Caribbean people were charged than anyone else.

She said: "The decision to arrest and charge will vary on a case by
case basis and is often dependent on a complex variety of factors."

These factors can include the amount of cannabis involved, previous
offending history, whether admissions were made in interview, no
comment interviews, which prevent the consideration of a caution, or
circumstances where the discovery of cannabis is made after an arrest
for another offence.