Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4028 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JULY 2016 J ust because the voters have decided on an is- sue doesn’t mean law enforcement has to like it or “take it sitting down.” That’s why after an unsuc- cessful challenge to mari- juana or cannabis decrimi- nalization in Colorado by law enforcement officials at the Supreme Court recently, chiefs, sheriffs and district attorneys are asking for a break. Law enforcement offi- cials are being inundated constantly with new laws and ordinances concerning marijuana and they want a two-year moratorium on new state marijuana laws. “That was the tipping point where I said, ‘This is too much, too fast,’” Greenwood Village Police Chief John Jackson told CBS News. The Colorado Chiefs of Police, the Sheriff’s Asso- ciation and the District At- torneys’ Council sent a letter to leadership in both parties stating, “Local law enforce- ment cannot keep up with the quantity and speed of constantly changing mari- juana law…” “Law enforcement, includ- ing the district attorneys of- fices, are saying, ‘Enough is enough and we’re at capac- ity that it’s affecting public safety and public health,’” said Jackson. It’s no mystery that police officers, associations and agencies do not support decriminalization and/or medical marijuana in part because they stand to lose so much in the way of funding earmarked for the “war on drugs.” One of the reasons offi- cials want a two-year “time out” is that it takes a hell of a long time to train officers in new laws. Chief Jackson said only 30 percent of the state’s 15,000 peace officers are trained in the basics of marijuana law. Can we get a time out here? Officials want a couple years without new laws It seems like the future of law enforcement is technol- ogy. Some of that technol- ogy is very expensive – like drones, for instance. You can buy one off the shelf for almost nothing, but if you want a fancy one it’s going to cost an arm and a leg. So in Oregon, Toledo Chief George Kral, Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp, and Oregon City Chief Mike Navarre have decided to go in on a drone together to reduce costs. They signed a memorandum of under- standing to that effect last March. The three departments will split the $75,399 cost for the Lockheed Martin Indago UAS. It’s unclear what the for- mula was, but Toledo and Oregon police will each pay 45 percent, with the sheriff’s office paying the remaining 10 percent. Policing is going through radical changes right now. “I think technology is the future,” Chief Navarre told Government Technology maga- zine in a recent interview. “These are going to be very commonplace in not just police departments, but fire departments also. The uses for unmanned aircraft in public safety are unlim- ited.” One of the advantages for agencies in using drones is being able to cut back on manpower and hours. “The drone does from the sky in about 30 minutes what it would take a person on the ground six or seven hours to do,” Mr. Navarre said. All the three agencies need now is approval from Federal Aviation Adminis- tration to use the drone. The training for the six officers from the three departments that will operate the drone will start after the FAA gives its final approval. The Lockheed Martin Indago UAS. “Hey, do you guys wanna go in on a drone three ways?” If you’re a cop in Califor- nia and you see that some idiot has locked their dog in the car in hot weather, you are already cleared to smash the window without fear of reprisal. Now that protection is being extended to non-law enforcement personnel as well. California lawmakers, at the time this was written, were all set to propose AB 797, a new law that would allow people who see a pet in a hot car to legally break the window to rescue it. The “Right to Rescue Act” was drafted by As- sembly members Marc Steinorth, Ling Ling Chang and Kristin Olsen of River- bank. Existing law allows peace officers, humane officers, or animal control officers to take all steps necessary to remove the animal from a car; now regular citizens can take action themselves. Dog safety measure passes SAN DIEGO SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT Now Hiring Laterals $75,000.00 – $100,245.00* Lateral Bonus of up to $5,000.00 13 Unique Stations to Choose From Learn More About What We Offer At: WWW.JOINSDSHERIFF.NET *Reflects current contract progressing through 2017