NLBS #29: Police Officer Caught with Five Pounds of Pot: No Charges

originally posted by: smurfy
Mmmm, I thought pot messes with your brain/s? It couldn't be a good thing to have a K9 officer 'Barking Mad' now could it!

A couple of the kindest, most lucid, most engaged and intelligent people I have ever known have also been regularly smoking pot for over 40 years. No schizophrenia, no DUI s, no inexplicable violent outbursts. Of course, anyone that does not have a strong foundation in reason and a fully developed mind should not be using THC.

a reply to: theNLBS

Well now, isn't this a pretty little pickle?

I think it is very important that this officer be investigated, preferably by an agency outside the chain of command of the department for which he works (i.e. by officers from another department, one which does not regularly have much to do with the department for which the officer in question works). I also believe that all crimes alleged to have been committed by police officers, from drunk and disorderly, right the way to racketeering and murder, should be looked at by the law as Federal crimes, and therefore prosecuting those crimes and deciding whether to bring charges, should not be an issue for the state, county, or any other body which might be disinclined to prosecute due to bias.

I only say this, because as ravenger13 was saying, police officers should be a sparkling example to everyone else, of how one can follow the law.

As for the law itself, my personal view is that America, like the UK has a pretty stupid way of dealing with marajuana related crime. Simply put, the governments of both countries cherry pick the scientific data that they will and will not listen to, based not on its validity, but on how well it fits their agenda, how well it fits in with their "message", and how they can use that data to create policies which will please their members. Given that "old blowhard, traditionalist, nationalist, hippy hater" is a way to describe at least half of the politicians in most governments, this bodes ill for the future.

That said, things do appear to be looking up in some respects, especially in the USA. There are states relaxing their laws on the subject, and some states are even looking at or have implemented a fairly comprehensive legalisation process. Sure, there are still kinks to work out, legal arguments to be had, but the battle in the minds of people and legislatures is slowly being won in some places, and that is something to be happy about. In the meantime though, while the law does not support a persons right to lug five lbs of pot around, officers of the law should not be engaging in such activity, unless they are doing so exclusively in the pursuit of an arrest or prosecution related to that vast quantity.

originally posted by: ravenger13
There is always some level of corruption among every institution. But being that I'm a current LEO I have to say this honestly isn't every department around the U.S. like the media (and ATS lately) wants you to think. I work for a larger agency in our area and work with several smaller departments. We actually have very strong ties to our community (a pretty diverse one at that, from impoverished people to students of our large university).

The chief that we have is very diligent in investigating any rumors of corruption and has actually arrested five of our officers this year for various things. The "thin blue line" as it were shouldn't be used as it is in most places to separate cops from citizens. The cops should be a real and tangible part of the community and not be treated as a segregated untouchable thing. I personally like being able to interact with the various people here in a positive manner.

**Personal Opinion Tangent: It is my own philosophy that we should have a live and let live policy. I also would not issue a citation or jail someone for something I would do myself. If we find pot (which most of us "on the other side" believe should be legal anyway) we usually just have people throw it out or ignore the smell so as not to search (yet again, 4th amendment supporter, I refuse to work DUI check points). X number of miles over the speed limit, don't worry about getting pulled if you're reasonable and obviously not endangering others. I didn't sign up and go through the training to be moral patrol because one group wants to imprison another group and needs legal justification. I signed up to do this because there are people out there that go home and beat their wives/children, gangs that force young kids into situations they don't want to be apart of, and I get a real feeling of accomplishment when I know I've helped someone (first month on the job my partner and I pulled a few guys out of a burning car). I think one of the things that helps my department is the education requirement. Everyone at our agency has at least an Associates, but a B.A. or B.S. is the unspoken standard a lot of these degrees are actually outside of the Criminal Justice field. Having intelligent officers tends to be a good diffuser in tense situations that could quickly get out of hand.

My two cents, I just ask that these titles and mistrusts not be applied to all officers.

Cheers to you sir! And a Merry Christmas to ya! Thank you for a job well done.

I guess the people in the community should protest by calling the mayor until something is done. If enough do so, something will happen. The guy will want to be re-elected after all. Woot!

originally posted by: LOSTinAMERICA
I guess the people in the community should protest by calling the mayor until something is done.

Yes, the mayor will take his phone off the hook. Don't get your hopes up for anything more.

Figures i wanna be a cop now lol

originally posted by: sweets777
Figures i wanna be a cop now lol

Become a MMA fighter instead, it's way more courageous and manly than beating up homeless people and women.

My friend just came for Christmas and told me a story about his weed dealer's brother.
The brother works for the DEA, and he distributes weed to all the local dealers. Anybody who crosses him gets raided and arrested. A career in Law Enforcement sounds like great protection from competing dealers. This guy must've watched too much Training Day.

Greetings and Salutations- Being a medically retired cop from Ca. who got injured while working undercover in 'Special Investigations' (narcotics; vice- the fun ones..) and there were times when I'd have up to $40k and 5 Mexican Keys (2 lbs. per) of methamphetamine running around in My Pearl White Cadillac DeVille. When working patrol any 'found drugs' were either turned over to Evidence for destroying or given to the K-9 officers for 'training purposes' 5 elbows is a lil over the top to be honest.. I NEVER had a drug test and was denied employment with 1 Ca. agency after the polygraph revealed I was a "middle man" in a pot deal when I delivered a bag to an AIDS patient only because I was in the front seat..

I also worked with an Officer who peed away His 23 year career after checking out 3 oz. of coc aine HCL and bringing back a couple "dime chips" and said He burned the rest teaching kids how to make crack for a DARE™ program. He now gets $769 /month because We didn't pay into Social Security.. With My broken back/neck it only costs Me $1207/month for My Health Insurance!! Luckily My PTSD; hypertension; HIGH cholesterol and cancer from sucking in meth fumes prior to OSHA™ have been combatted to a point of no return.. Yin/Yang

In closing, it is more common than one would imagine.. It also helps to be able to articulate a reason/alibi.. If this Hump was pushing a blk./wh. through the hood? He'd be done.

Meanwhile,some 18 yr old kid is being placed in handcuffs for a dime bag,and with a Police record of it...Smfh,FTP.

This topic has a thread already, and in that one I commented that the officer should receive no penalty. He put parts of plant in a bag. Nobody should get in trouble for this, police included, and if he put a part of a plant in a bag it's literally no big deal. Should he be arrested or charged? Nope. He put parts of a plant into a bag.

a reply to: Aleister
You disgust Me...I'll leave it at that.I would break the TOS,what I would like to say to you...

a reply to: greydaze

You may have misunderstood my intent. I don't believe anyone should get in trouble for marijuana, it's a plant. This includes corrupt police, who, by their actions (such as in this case), undermine the law and destroy trust in these particular laws. Pot should not be a crime, no matter who is involved in the actions surrounding it. It's a plant, a common plant that used to grow all over (especially near human settlements), and any legal questions surrounding it are unfair to the concept of 'It's a plant!'.

a reply to: Aleister
I apologize..I did jump the gun on your comment..Heh,heh

a reply to: greydaze

Not your fault, I wasn't clear enough in my post and thought that my meaning was implied. In the real world this cop should, of course, lose his job over this at a minimum, and have all of his past cases overthrown because of his greed and his thinking that he could get away with it (while at the same time continuing to arrest and harass people who happen to be carrying around parts of a plant). In a perfect world he would go about his business, while at the same time collecting parts of a plant that he seems to have his attention on, and sharing them with his friends, family, and the public at large.

a reply to: MayanWarrior

Or too many episodes of WEEDS maybe?

WOW, Are we to beleive that the K-9 officer just forgot or was on his way to drop off the 5 pounds to evidence, LOL sure. The amount of moeny this guy could make with 5 pounds of good pot, would be a few thousand dollar street value. I mean I really have no problem with marijuana, and if the police officer wants to do that on his time, then so be it. But when the actual guy that is given authority to search with a K-9, and whos sole job is to find drugs, you gotta ask yourself what else is ging on. Is the police officer keeping it for himself, or does it go a lot further than that, like re-distributing the seized marijuana back onto the streets. War on Drugs, Honestly I dont feel like its that genuine of a war on drugs, with many loop holes for money to be made, and for government to play both sides. the Supplier and the confiscator. Its a win win for the Gov. I feel like this goes on a lot more than we are lead to believe. They should just do away with the federal law against marijuana, and make it legal. Hell its a plant, that has so many abilities to help so many health conditions.