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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Met chief insists cannabis cautions 'save police time'
Ananova
Thursday 21 Mar 2002 The Metropolitan Police Commissioner says cautioning people caught in possession of cannabis has saved 1,350 hours of police time in six months. Sir John Stevens told a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority that officers involved in the controversial scheme in Lambeth have issued 450 warnings. He said a Police Foundation report shows 83% of residents in Lambeth support the "softly, softly" cannabis scheme. The pilot scheme has seen a 35% increase in the number of instances of possession recorded and an 11% increase in trafficking offences recorded. Supporters of the scheme claim that freeing up officer time allows police to detect more offences. Critics say the increase in recorded offences is because drugs have flooded into the area as a result of the experiment. Sir John said 36% supported it outright, and 47% had given conditional support. He said the report said officer time saved in completing arrest formalities and preparing court papers could be put into crime-fighting use. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mike Fuller, who has been overseeing the project, said there had been some misunderstanding in Lambeth about what the scheme actually meant. He said: "The public were very unclear about what was happening and thought drugs were being legalised and that wasn't the case. Officers are still seizing the cannabis."
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