KNOCKING OFF DISPENSARIES

Vacaville Police Chief Richard Word's claim ("Vacaville council just
says no to pot dispensaries," March 23) that "dispensaries bring with
them other crimes such as robberies and burglaries" has not proved
true in Los Angeles or any other city with marijuana
dispensaries.

Police Chief Word's assertions about marijuana are thinly disguised
fictions with no basis in fact. Cops imply that allowing a marijuana
dispensary could be dangerous because there might be an armed robbery
of a pot club. However, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck debunked
that claim when he said, "Banks are more likely to get robbed than
medical marijuana dispensaries."

In 2009, the LAPD received reports of 71 robberies at the more than
350 banks in the city, compared with 47 robberies at medical marijuana
facilities, which number at least 800. The plain truth is that people
face more than three times risk of injury going to their local bank
than going to a marijuana dispensary.

Word needs to explain why Los Angeles' crime rates have hit their
lowest point in decades despite having hundreds of marijuana
dispensaries.

People have to be near brain-dead to think that dedicating police to
"marijuana crimes" protects citizens because it is an indisputable
fact that a cop cannot hunt down child molesters, armed robbers, car
thieves, burglars, rapists or any other criminals while pursuing pot
smokers.

Ralph Givens

Daly City