BARTLETT BOARD OKS VILLAGE ORDINANCE AGAINST MARIJUANA

The Bartlett Village Board has approved a law allowing police officers
to issue village tickets for minor marijuana offenses.

The ordinance, which was requested by several police officers, would
enable the department to enforce marijuana laws while and keep
officers on the street as much as possible, Police Chief Dan Palmer
said.

"It gives the officers another option," he said.

The driving concern behind the measure is time. Arresting and
processing an offender on a state marijuana charge can take as long as
two hours, Palmer said.

The process involves driving to the police station, fingerprinting and
photographing the suspect, going through bond procedures and possible
incarceration.

The ordinance can only be used in cases involving 30 grams of
marijuana or less. Fines levied under the ordinance can range from $50
to $750.

Issuing a village ticket, though, would take a fraction of the time,
and in most cases have the same result, Palmer said.

"They're still being cited. They're still appearing before a judge,"
he said. "And the fines are usually the same. This ordinance doesn't
mean we're minimizing the offense."

Officers will still have the discretion to make an arrest according to
state law, depending on the subject's criminal history and the
circumstances of the case.

The measure passed on Tuesday with a 4-2 vote. Trustee Sally Hodge
voted "present" during the roll call. Trustee Dennis Nolan voted
against the measure.

"I think issuing a village ticket for a marijuana offense has a lesser
effect," Nolan said. "It doesn't seem to fit with the village's 'zero
tolerance' stance on drugs."