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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Police chief casts doubt on cannabis scheme Jason Bennetto The Independent Saturday 11 May 2002 Scotland Yard appears to be backing away from a more liberal approach to cannabis possession after a senior officer said a pilot scheme was attracting drug dealers and users into the area where the experiment is taking place. Since July last year police in the south London borough of Lambeth have been operating a scheme in which people caught in possession of a small quantity of cannabis are let off with a warning rather than being arrested and prosecuted. But in the most critical analysis of the pilot yet, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Michael Fuller, head of Scotland Yard's drugs directorate, cast doubt on its effectiveness and suggested there was evidence it could cause serious problems. He said there had been reports of pupils arriving at school "stoned", and officers based in local schools had reported that children believed the police approach was hypocritical and sent "mixed messages". Mr Fuller, writing in Police Review, said: "Many parents of teenagers are raising concerns ... that the current perception of liberalisation and relaxation of the drug laws created by the scheme will inevitably result in more young people (and adults) experimenting in using cannabis and possibly harder drugs." He said that offences involving cannabis possession in the trial area in the first six months rose by 35 per cent and for cannabis dealing by 11 per cent compared to the same period in 2000. Mr Fuller does acknowledge that the police time saved by issuing warnings - there were 450 in the first six months of the trial - was significant. A total of 1,350 hours was saved, the equivalent of two officers on the street David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, is expected to downgrade cannabis later in the year making possession a non arrestable offence. The Lambeth scheme, which was the idea of the borough commander, Brian Paddick, is supposed to free officers and allow them to concentrate on tackling heroin and cocaine abuse. Although opposed by the right-wing press, recent surveys of Lambeth residents showed widespread support for the scheme, which is deemed successful is expected to be adopted in other parts of the country. Mr Fuller said the problem "arises from [the] public misunderstanding cannabis possession has been legalised." The Metropolitan Police has yet to make a final decision on the Lambeth experiment but the remarks by Mr Fuller suggest they are having growing misgivings. If they were to end the trials it would be a blow to drug reformers who have been campaigning for a more liberal approach to policing cannabis use.
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