NYPD narcotics officers are being told to stop arresting suspects over the age of 40 per a recent memo sent to commanders.
The directive issued on May 14 scolded division commanders for arresting people outside the 18-40 demographic, demanding written explanations for arrests of older drug suspects, according to The New York Post.
"A previous topic of discussion has been the need to target violent offenders who are 18 to 40 years of age," the memo reads. "It has been well established that the individuals in this age demographic are responsible for the majority of violent crime."
Critics say it's a major strategy shift designed to target younger dealers, who are more likely to carry guns and use them. Shootings in the city are up 7 percent in 2015 compared with the same period last year and 12 percent over the last four weeks.
The news report states that commanders who got that memo immediately ordered the rank and file to stop arresting suspects over 40 and threatened officers with transfers and other discipline if they did not comply.
The memo was signed by New York Police Department Assistant Chief Brian McCarthy, head of the Narcotics Division, but sources told The Post that the directive came from higher up.
