NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans City Council member has proposed giving police more discretion on whether to make arrests for possession of marijuana.
Council member Susan Guidry says in a news release her proposal would allow police to issue summonses rather than make arrests for certain marijuana violations.
Guidry says that would free up New Orleans officers for more serious crimes while saving the city money.
New Orleans police already can issue summonses for first-offense simple possession cases. Guidry's proposal would expand the municipal code to cover subsequent marijuana simple possession offenses.
The ordinance will be discussed on Wednesday by members of the Council's Criminal Justice Committee, which Guidry chairs.
