Q&A
Arrests and referrals during cannabis shop inspections
1:22:29
·
102 sec
Council Member Nantasha Williams inquires about arrests made during inspections of unlicensed cannabis shops. Sheriff Anthony Miranda explains that arrests are not made for cannabis-related violations but for other illegal products found during inspections.
- Arrests during inspections are made by NYPD, not the Sheriff's Office
- The Sheriff's Office does not have information on prosecutions resulting from these arrests
- There's a lack of data on arrests declined for prosecution by district attorneys
Nantasha Williams
1:22:29
Thank you, Chair, and thank you, sheriff.
1:22:32
I know anytime we ask you to come to the district.
1:22:35
You come.
1:22:35
You were just there last week, so thank you so much.
1:22:38
I'm gonna ask a series of questions about arrest and referrals and also geographic areas of focus.
1:22:43
So around arrest in our froze.
1:22:46
How many arrests have been made during inspections?
Anthony Miranda
1:22:50
We are.
1:22:52
Okay.
1:22:53
I don't have those numbers with and, again, during the inspections, the people that are being arrested are not being arrested for cannabis related violations.
1:23:01
They're being arrested.
1:23:02
They're being arrested because we found other illegal products that result in them being arrested.
Nantasha Williams
1:23:07
Absolutely.
1:23:08
And those arrest I know a lot of times you do joint action.
1:23:12
So those arrests are being made by the NYPD.
1:23:14
Correct?
Anthony Miranda
1:23:15
Correct.
Nantasha Williams
1:23:15
Okay.
1:23:16
And how many of those arrests have resulted in prosecution?
Anthony Miranda
1:23:21
Do you
Nantasha Williams
1:23:21
know?
1:23:22
No?
Anthony Miranda
1:23:22
I don't know that often.
1:23:23
No.
Nantasha Williams
1:23:24
Is that NYPD isn't that the NYPD's
Anthony Miranda
1:23:26
not No.
1:23:26
They're not here for this meeting.
Nantasha Williams
1:23:27
Oh, okay.
1:23:31
How many okay.
1:23:32
You probably don't know this, but I'll ask it on the record.
1:23:34
How many of any of these arrests have been declined to be prosecuted by the district Chinese office.
1:23:40
You don't know.
1:23:42
In spring 2024, as operation pilot to protect swept hundreds of shops suspected of selling unlicensed cannabis, footage of a May 18th raid on at an island store captured how enlisting police to conduct regulatory inspections can result in criminal charges, raising concerns about potential due process violations, how is your office working with other agencies, including the NYPD to avoid harsher tactics, while continuing to shut a shop selling unlicensed cannabis products.
