DRUG CRIMES

Re: It's Agreed: Decriminalize Pot, editorial, March 15.

Many Canadians might be surprised to learn that there was a six-month trial
of cannabis decriminalization in a borough of London, England, which found
that when police officers were not allowed to arrest, or even fine, those
in possession of cannabis, there was a 19% increase in arrests for
trafficking in "hard"drugs, and an 11% increase in arrest for trafficking
in cannabis. Simply put, the test found that massive police resources were
freed up to go after traffickers of both hard drugs and cannabis, not to
mention real criminals who commit serious crimes.

If the idea is to save taxpayers' money while simultaneously freeing up
police resources to go after real criminals, all Canadians should keep a
close eye on developments in Britain.

Chris Donald, Dartmouth, N.S.