When Dorial Green-Beckham and two teammates were taken into custody and processed after they were found to be in possession of marijuana, and the incident attracted several eyes — eyes on the former No. 1 recruit, the Missouri Tigers and, eventually, on the MU Police Department.
It turns out if Green-Beckham, Torey Boozer and Levi Copelin had run into a Columbia police officer, they would have gone through a much different series of events.
CPD usually issues a summons and doesn’t process suspects at police headquarters, according to the [Columbia Daily Tribune](http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/oct/09/athletes-arrests-raise-questions-about-police/). The city of Columbia passed an ordinance in 2004 declaring marijuana a lowest-priority offense, so under Columbia law, possession of 35 grams or less warrants a maximum fine of $250. Apparently, MUPD never realized the change.
“Before that time (Green-Beckham’s arrest), no one had told us,” MUPD Chief Jack Watring told the Tribune last week. “No one had ever asked if we were following what they do.”
In other words, the MUPD chief, who’s had the position since 2003, had no idea the city voted to classify marijuana possession a lowest-priority offense eight years ago.
Watring and his officers have every right to bring suspects in for marijuana offenses — the state’s policy on marijuana is much harsher than the city’s. Because it’s commissioned by the city and the state, MUPD has a choice between the state’s code on marijuana: a misdemeanor with a maximum jail sentence of one year and a fine of no more than $1,000, according to [a previous Maneater article](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2012/2/14/missouri-marijuana-laws-sixth-toughest-nation/), or the city’s code.
Choosing the state’s policy over the city’s isn’t the issue. It’s the apparent lack of thought that went into the decision. According to Watring, there wasn’t any at all. MUPD should be able to back up all of its policy decisions, especially the policies it enforces most often. Marijuana offenses happen nearly every day, and being blatantly unaware of the city’s code toward them is shameful.
Not to mention how unbelievable it is that the police chief had never heard of the city code when MUPD touts its “very good relationship” with CPD. In a Maneater article last month, MUPD spokesman Brian Weimer said the two departments are “always sharing information back and forth … assisting each other with information, so it’s a daily thing.” Where was that information exchange for the last eight years? Weimer went on to say CPD and MUPD overlap on a daily basis. With so much overlap, a disconnect this large shouldn’t exist.
MUPD doesn’t need to be focusing its resources on misdemeanor drug offenses either, not with the [amount of violent offenses](http://www.mupolice.com/clery/index.php) on and around campus so far this semester.
In light of MUPD’s lack of reasoning behind its decision to follow the state code, it’s time it looked into how CPD deals with marijuana offenses and consider adopting the city’s policy. As it stands, one’s repercussions for marijuana possession depend on which officer catches the suspect. When one of those officer’s chiefs can’t explain why that is, something needs to change.
MUPD has to be more thoughtful about its policy decisions and on where it’s using its resources. Columbia residents voted — they don’t believe marijuana possession should be treated as anything more than a misdemeanor. Now that MUPD knows the city’s code, it needs to consider adapting to it.