Cops brag about their pot bust on social media, mockery ensues

Anyone who follows social media doesn’t need any kind of polling research to tell them that Americans are hugely in favor of decriminalizing pot (61%, according to CBS News). It’s a statistic that the social media strategist for the NYPD should take to heart considering the response to their latest Twitter post.

In a tweet from April 22, cops from the 106th Precinct in Ozone Park, Queens busted a dealer who was in possession of some baggies and two machetes —  and a Monster energy drink, which they included in their photo.

But the post didn’t receive the positive community response they were hoping for. As Mic points out, the cops’ efforts were a bit behind the times.

Almost everyone who replied mocked them for gloating about an arrest for something that few consider a crime anymore.

Below are a few examples from the comments that ensued:

According to a 2015 report from NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), over 12% of federal drug prisoners are locked up for pot-related violations.

Of the 94,678 federal inmates incarcerated for a drug violation as their most serious offense, 12.4 percent (11,533 persons) are serving time for violating marijuana laws. Most marijuana offenders are imprisoned for trafficking violations. The average length of prison for those incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses is 88 months.

Nearly half (44.3 percent) of federal marijuana inmates are offenders with minimal criminal histories who have not previously served time in prison. Eight-five percent of marijuana offenders did not possess a firearm.

You can see the entire Twitter thread here.

[Mic] Featured image via Twitter

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.