Overview
Steptoe partner Jason Weinstein was interviewed by National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” show on May 19 in a discussion about the White House report on 21st century policing, and the federal government’s limited and controversial role in policing. The US Justice Department can investigate state and local police for discriminatory stops and excessive force, and can withhold federal grant money. Mr. Weinstein, who used to run the violent crimes unit at the US attorney’s office in Baltimore, says there’s one more way federal prosecutors can try to make a difference.
“To send a message we're not trying to arrest more people, we're trying to arrest the right people,” he said. In his former position, Mr. Weinstein said that he spent a lot of time meeting with lower level criminals to try to scare them straight.
“I would introduce myself and say that I was the person whose primary job was to decide if someone who got arrested with a gun or drugs went federal. And what would happen when someone goes federal for the first time is, they would find out that they were looking at 20 years for the same crime that in Baltimore City they were looking at 20 minutes in jail for."
The full interview can be heard on NPR.
