ITASCA APPROVES DRUG ORDINANCE

Itasca police and officials are making the best of some drivers' bad
situations.

The Itasca village board on Tuesday unanimously passed a measure that
allows the village to prosecute drivers who are pulled over and found
to have marijuana or drug paraphernalia in their possession.

Formerly, the village could only prosecute moving violations. But
criminal charges had to be booked through the DuPage County state's
attorney's office, said Deputy Itasca Police Chief Bob O'Connor.

"A lot of times we had a subject who would be arrested for DUI and we
would find a cannabis pipe on him and would automatically have to book
under a state statute," he said. "This change just makes sense."

While penalties remain the same under Illinois law, anyone charged
with this offense in Itasca will now be prosecuted by attorneys from
the Smith and Fuller law firm in Wheaton.

Some fees gained through any fines issued would go back to Itasca,
O'Connor said, though he did not have exact figures.