PROFILED IN MY FRONT YARD

All That Police Work For Such A Small Amount Of Weed

Earlier this year, I got arrested for a half gram
of marijuana - not even a joint's worth. All I
wanted was some McDonald's, but I never even made it to the car.

My friend and I were standing in my front yard on
Moreland Avenue in East Atlanta. I was two steps
away from my driveway. Before I even knew what
was happening, my friend and I had a spotlight on
us and were being ordered not to move. Two more
units were on the way. My friend and I were both
handcuffed and, by my estimation, illegally
searched. (My friend told the officer that he
couldn't search us without probable cause, but no
luck.) I admit, I had some weed on me.

We were all saddled up and ready to go to jail
when a crackhead walked up to the patrol car and
told the officer there were outstanding warrants
for his arrest and he'd like to be placed into
custody. The officer demanded that he back away.
He then stepped out of the car, took the guy's
I.D. and called it in. Dispatch confirmed
multiple warrants. The officer gave the man his I.D. back and drove off.

At that moment, I was thinking, "Why take us in
and leave a man with warrants?" The only thing I
could come up with was the money. How would the
crackhead pay his fines? Who would bail him out
of jail? I then came to the conclusion that not
only was I racially profiled in my own front yard
=AD depressing enough news on its own =AD but that my
friend and I had just been shaken down by the city of Atlanta.

The verdict: a $750 fine and $250 for D.U.I.
school (even though we weren't in a vehicle). We
also got a year of probation. All this police
work for such a tiny amount of pot =AD while people
like Atlanta musician Billy Fields get shot in
the face. Thankfully, he is alive to tell the
story. I also know of someone else who was raped
in a home invasion a few weeks back. The suspects are still at large.

Is Atlanta's police department here to protect
and serve, or merely to intimidate and collect
revenue from us? Is its presence meant for our
own good, or does the department merely exist for
the benefit of city government? I always thought
jail was a place for serious and violent
offenses. The truth is, you can go to jail for
almost anything - including being a minority hanging out in your front yard.

I'm not claiming all cops are here to screw you,
but some initiatives and protocols really should
be revised. Time and resources spent on petty
infractions should be diverted to the hunt for
those who do serious harm. Good guys - even ones
with a little weed in their pocket - don't belong behind bars.