POLICE CHIEFS: VOTE NO TO POT

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Law enforcement officials from Western
Massachusetts gathered Wednesday to voice their opposition to
Question 2 on the November ballot, a measure that would decriminalize
possession of an ounce or less or marijuana.

"Ballot Question 2 is a green light to drug dealers to target young
children, especially high school students, to buy and use drugs,"
Hampden County District Attorney William M. Bennett said during a
press conference held in front of West Springfield High School.

Others who spoke out in opposition to the ballot question were police
Chiefs Anthony R. Scott, of Holyoke, Bruce W. McMahon, of
Easthampton, and David F. Guilbault, of Greenfield; Hampden County
Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.; Berkshire County District Attorney
David F. Capeless; and Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel.

Question 2, if passed by voters Nov. 4, would replace criminal
penalties for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana with a $100
fine. The measure is sponsored by the Boston-based Committee for
Sensible Marijuana Policy, which is seeking the decriminalization of
what it considers a minor offense but said the question would have
no impact on arrests involving the sale, distribution or trafficking
of any amount of marijuana.

Passage would also save the criminal justice system millions of
dollars in costs associated with marijuana-possession cases,
according to proponents.

"What we're looking at is thousands of people's lives derailed every
year, millions of dollars wasted, and we know we can do it better,"
said Whitney A. Taylor, campaign manager and chairwoman of the committee.

Taylor also said from 2000 to 2006, voters favored the $100 civil
penalty in nonbinding votes in 30 legislative districts around the
state.

Capeless said that under current state law, a first offense by a
juvenile will not result in a record and a first offense by someone
17 or older is automatically continued for six months and, if the
person stays out of trouble, a dismissal follows.

"Question Number 2 would send a very wrong message to our young
people that smoking dope is OK," Capeless said.

Capeless and McMahon said surveys in Berkshire County and in
Easthampton show fewer teenagers are using marijuana.

"More and more teens are making the right decisions about drugs. Why
then do we want to send the wrong message to our youth?" McMahon asked.

"This is wrong. It's a misguided ballot question," Scheibel said.