Arrests on misdemeanor marijuana charges are down in New York City, following an internal order by the police commissioner regarding the department's enforcement guidelines. But are they down enough?

Many people believe that there are still far too many New York City drug possession arrests.

On September 19, NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly issued the order clarifying when police should arrest someone on marijuana charges. Under the guidelines stated by the commissioner, police are not supposed to arrest people who have only small amounts of marijuana in their pockets or handbags, as long as the small amounts are not in public view.

Commissioner Kelly's action came in response to concerns that the department arrests too many people on pot charges. In the past, about 50,000 people a year have been arrested.

Such widespread arrests not only tend to clog the criminal courts. They may also indicate overly aggressive stop and frisk actions by police that frequently involve black and Hispanic men being searched.

So far, the effect of the commissioner's order has been a reduction in arrests for marijuana possession. In the first nine weeks after the order, the number of New York City marijuana possession arrests was 7,925. This was 13 percent less than the same period last year.

Critics have countered, however, that this reduction is not large enough or sustained enough to be significant - especially when the police department remains committed to stopping and frisking so many people.

Source: "Marijuana arrests drop after NYPD order," Wall Street Journal, 12-7-11