City Officials Approve ‘Drug-Free Zones’
Pasadena’s schools and parks could become “drug-free zones” under a proposal approved this week by the city Board of Directors. Using state and federal laws that call for added penalties for those convicted of dealing drugs near a school or playground, Pasadena city officials plan to post permanent warning signs and increase police patrols in the zones.
The signs serve as a deterrent because they warn dealers of the stiff penalties they face if convicted of selling drugs inside the zones. Such signs were posted in Alameda in Northern California last year under a similar program. Statewide programs have also begun in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
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