Politics & Government

Police Chief Opposes Pot Legalization, Pens Letter To Pritzker

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel shared his concerns about marijuana legalization in a letter addressed to Governor J.B. Pritzker.

RIVERSIDE, IL — A suburban police chief has come out against the possible legalization of recreational marijuana in the state of Illinois. Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said in a letter he penned to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker that he wants to go "on the record" about his "opposition to recreational marijuana becoming legal in Illinois."

His concerns are centered on the fact that there are currently no ways for police officers in the state to test to see if drivers are under the influence of marijuana.

"Presently there is no reliable device available that would allow police officers to test id drivers are impaired by marijuana. I believe that such tests will be available in the future, but for now, this puts police at a severe disadvantage especially in cases of fatal crashes and great bodily harm injuries. I believe we should wait to legalize cannabis until police have a reliable system for testing potentially drugged drivers who may be driving under the influence of cannabis."

Legalizing marijuana could also add a financial burden to police departments across the state, Weitzel said.

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The Riverside Police Department in a press release said that law enforcement would likely have to add about 650 new drug recognition expert total to handle the necessity of the increase in suspected impaired drivers.

"Most law enforcement agencies within Illinois have twenty or less members. Without the appropriate funding from the State, the financial impact could be crippling to some municipalities."

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It would also be anticipated that a majority of police K-9 dogs who have already been trained to detect marijuana would need to retire early, they added.

"The replacement of these K-9 officers could easily take 5-7 years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Photo courtesy of the Riverside Police Department


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