District 8 Councilman Proposes Adoption of Formal Cite-and-Release Program for Marijuana Possession

CONTACT: Erin Nichols, 210-207-2881
[email protected]

SAN ANTONIO (December 2, 2021) - District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez advanced a proposal that calls on the City of San Antonio to formally adopt a cite-and-release program for the possession of small amounts of marijuana as permitted by state law. Following the filing of this proposal, he issued the following statement:

"When I first entered office in 2017, I was involved in the early conversations to implement cite-and-release in our community. This new proposal will reinvigorate that conversation, gather input from key community stakeholders, and enable us to spare non-violent offenders from arrest for low level marijuana offenses.

Furthermore, it calls for robust reporting and measures of transparency and accountability to ensure that the program serves all San Antonians.

Prosecuting and arresting non-violent, low level marijuana offenders takes up the time, energy, and resources of our local law enforcement and trades off with their pursuit of crimes that have a greater impact on the health, wellbeing and safety of our community.

Because arrests stay on record even when cases are dismissed, a cite-and-release program for low level marijuana offenses is essential to making sure we aren't impeding residents' access to employment, housing, financial aid, and prosperity.

We have a responsibility to our taxpayers to free up police resources and promote a more equitable justice system that doesn't excessively punish minor offenders.

Thank you to Councilman Bravo, Councilwoman Rocha-Garcia, Councilwoman Cabello-Havrda, and Councilman Courage for signing their support and committing to help."