Busy busting potheads

To the editor:

I can't believe how easily the Halifax police snowed reporter Cathy Nicoll
about their "priorities" (Pot `Low Priority'... Aug. 13 ).

Your paper informed us on July 31 that last year: "Of the 233 marijuana
cases reported, 147 involved possession, 79 dealt with trafficking, and
seven concerned cultivation. Police charged 184 people. Of the 120 cocaine
cases reported, 51 involved possession, and 69 dealt with trafficking.
Police charged 115 people."

Last year the Halifax police "tripped" over 233 marijuana busts, or almost
five a week on average, and only half as many cocaine cases, despite
spending "90 per cent" of their time on them.

She might have asked, "If 90 per cent of your time is spent on cocaine, how
come the major crime squad busts someone for pot almost every working day,
on average?"

I, for one, would feel much safer if the major crime unit stopped busting a
pothead a day and put the thousands of manhours and tens of thousands of
dollars wasted on pot into investigating real "major" crimes like rape,
murder, and assault.

Chris Donald
via the internet