Individual police bosses should not literally be taking the law into their own hands.
Drug laws should be applied equally across the land and not
be open to interpretation in different policing areas, says local UKIP MEP
Jonathan Arnott.
His comments come in the wake of admissions that Durham
Police are letting cannabis growers and smokers escape prosecution.
“Their approach cannot be right,” said Mr
Arnott.
“We have a serious drug problem in this country and
whatever your views on cannabis the law says that cultivating and using it is a
crime.
“There needs to be a national debate on the issue and
meanwhile individual police bosses should not literally be taking the law into
their own hands.
“Durham police force has apparently decided to give a free
pass to low level users and growers. But the law is the law and it should be
followed – particularly by the police.
“Ron Hogg, the area’s police and crime commissioner, has
said that where low level amounts of cannabis plants are discovered it is
unlikely the offenders will be prosecuted.
“What message does that send out, particularly to
vulnerable impressionable youngsters and what magic figure is defined as small?
Even as few as a dozen can yield a street value of £10,000 which plainly makes
it a commercial operation,” said Mr Arnott.
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