Never think that just because a public policy leads to racial discrimination, expensive lawsuits against the city, and is eventually eased into death, someone won't try to revive it as soon as the hubbub quiets down.

This week, the Old Town/Chinatown Neighborhood Association sent a letter to the mayor's office calling for a reinstatement of the Drug Free Zone (DFZ). Until then-mayor Tom Potter let it expire in 2007, the DFZ was a policy allowing police officers to instantly exclude suspected drug dealers from downtown for 90 days. In acting as officer, judge, and jury, cops showed an unfortunate racial bias—the report that eventually killed the DFZ showed that officers excluded 58 percent of white people they arrested, but 100 percent of black people.

On February 1st, the Old Town/Chinatown Neighborhood Association voted to ask the mayor to look into reinstated the expired law. Here's their letter:

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I have a hard time believing Sam Adams would risk pissing off the ACLU and other civil rights leaders by reviving the DFZ, but it's possible that a reworked form of the law could get some legs if business leaders push for it.