POT USERS ARE NOT POLICE'S FOCUS: CONCENTRATION IS ON DEALERS

For those who plan on celebrating "4/20" today, University Chief of
Police Jimmy Williamson would advise you not to do so in your dorm room.

"The number one way people get arrested for marijuana on campus is
that they smoke in the residence halls and a neighbor complains,"
Williamson said. "The majority of the time we are getting a call
from a student."

Sometimes a person gets caught for marijuana when they are stopped by
police for an unrelated reason.

Williamson said non-complaint related discoveries typically stem from
DUIs and other traffic arrests that lead to police searching a car
and finding marijuana.

In 2009, University police arrested 36 individuals on marijuana-
related charges, Lt. Eric Dellinger said. Five of those individuals
were female.

Nine of the individuals were arrested by University police in March.

"It's not like the police are doing anything really covert to catch
folks," Williamson said. "We like to let people's actions dictate what we do."

Some arrests, Williamson said, are due to blatant disregard, or
merely people forgetting where they laid their baggie.

"There have been people that pull up to safety road checks and have
marijuana sitting right there between the two seats in the console,"
he said. "It's obvious they have already smoked."

Since there is no breathalyzer or means of testing to tell if a
driver is under the influence of marijuana, police must request a
blood test or rely on observations.

"If someone is impaired and the officer sees all these signs of
impairments, but smells no alcohol, the officer is going to request
blood," Williamson said. "The driver can refuse but that doesn't
stop them from being charged, and observations will be used in court."

Police can use observations as probable cause for a search. Officers
are exposed to the scent of marijuana and trained to recognize it
both in its dried state and after it has been burned.

However, Williamson explained that a marijuana arrest of someone who
is just a user is more of a reactionary response.

"The real proactive stances in law enforcement are when we are going
after the individuals that are dealing," he said. "We are using very
creative means to find them."'

Lt. Mike Hunsinger, commander of the North East Georgia Regional Drug
Task Force, has a similar order of priorities for his team of investigators.

Although the task force is designed to reduce both the use and
distribution of illegal drugs, Hunsinger said they focus on the latter.

"We don't spend a lot of time and effort in looking for marijuana
users," Hunsinger said. "We go after for those who are selling it."

Dellinger said only two individuals were arrested by University
police on charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana in 2009.

However, marijuana is still the most prevalent drug on campus.

"In the Athens-Clarke County metropolitan area, specifically,
marijuana is the most prevalent illicit drug," Hunsinger said.

Despite today's special occasion, University police said they will
not be putting forth extra effort to fight marijuana-use.

"It's just the same as any other day," Williamson said. "People
usually come with signs and protest, but there is nothing to really
build up for."