Dallas Police Considering a Ticket Instead of Arrest for Marijuana Possession

The Dallas Morning News reports that Dallas police are considering just writing a ticket for someone caught with marijuana.

City officials were scheduled to discuss the measure at their public safety meeting on Dec. 8. The law enforcement initiative, called "Cite & Release," would replace arrests for certain misdemeanor violations such as possession of a small amount of marijuana.

A new law passed by the Texas legislature in 2007 made cite and release possible for certain Class A and B misdemeanors.

If the measure is adopted in Dallas, it could mean hundreds of fewer arrests each year.  Last year, Dallas police arrested between 100 and 120 people each month for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Cite and release hasn't been embraced by most Texas law enforcement. Travis County and the Austin Police Department are some of the few to adopt it.

Depending on how the marijuana pilot program goes, cite and release could also be invoked for other minor offenses such as criminal mischief, theft, graffiti, contraband in a correctional facility and driving with an invalid license.