Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby Says Her Office Will No Longer Prosecute Low-Level Drug, Sex Crimes
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby says her office will no longer prosecute low-level drug and sex crimes.
During a press conference Friday, Mosby said this new neighborhood safety initiative leaves behind the era on tough-on-crime and zero-tolerance policing and focuses on serious crimes in the community.
"Data shows that these policies have reduced arrests and the incarcerated population, and not negatively impacted public safety," her office stated in a press release.
At the start of the COVID pandemic, the city stopped making arrests for minor crimes like drug possession and sex work to slow the spread of the deadly virus in already crowded jails.
The city will now make these policies permanent and instead look at these issues as public health issues.
This will free up resources to focus on more serious crimes.
Mosby says it is not productive to prosecute low level drug crimes and sex crimes—and instead they should be handled as a public health issue @wjz pic.twitter.com/QHMVfhnC9N
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) March 26, 2021
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