https://video.vice.com/en_us/video/...rying-a-pocket-knife/5a83ab7ef1cdb32af9778f61
This 1950s law is getting thousands of New Yorkers arrested for carrying a pocket knife
In New York City, 4000 people are arrested every year for carrying common folding knives. Many of those arrested are people who use the knives for work: electricians, plumbers, construction workers. But under a 1958 New York state law, they’re often prosecuted for carrying what’s called a gravity knife -- and possession can result in a felony conviction, and years of jail time. The vast majority of people affected by the law are people of color, which is why advocates have started pushing back against what they see as an absurd and discriminatory law. These activists have found an unlikely ally in Doug Ritter, head of Knife Rights, a grassroots organization devoted to getting rid of knife laws across the United States.
This 1950s law is getting thousands of New Yorkers arrested for carrying a pocket knife
In New York City, 4000 people are arrested every year for carrying common folding knives. Many of those arrested are people who use the knives for work: electricians, plumbers, construction workers. But under a 1958 New York state law, they’re often prosecuted for carrying what’s called a gravity knife -- and possession can result in a felony conviction, and years of jail time. The vast majority of people affected by the law are people of color, which is why advocates have started pushing back against what they see as an absurd and discriminatory law. These activists have found an unlikely ally in Doug Ritter, head of Knife Rights, a grassroots organization devoted to getting rid of knife laws across the United States.
