ozzrokk
Well-Known Member
I know this is not from Michigan but was interesting none the less
http://www.slate.com/blogs/crime/2013/03/15/gary_wiegert_st_louis_cop_moonlights_as_pro_marijuana_activist.html
As long as were on the topic of cops who get mixed up with illegal drugs, I wanted to mention the strange case of St. Louis police officer Gary Wiegert, otherwise known as Sgt. Feelgood. In February, Wiegert got approval to take a second job, as many cops do. Unfortunately for the department, Wiegerts second job was as a lobbyist for Show-Me Cannabis, a group that advocates for reforming Missouris marijuana laws. Wiegerts embarrassed superiors moved quickly to harsh his buzz, revoking its approval of his outside employment. This week, Wiegert sued the department, alleging it was restricting his First Amendment rights.
You can understand the departments chagrin. And I get the sense that Wiegerthes a committed libertarian who once hosted a radio show called Cop Talkdoes this sort of button-pushing thing fairly often. But the department apparently has no problem with its officers pursuing political activities; before this, Wiegert was registered as a lobbyist for the St. Louis Tea Party. (The most recent post on the St. Louis Tea Partys blog begins with I sat down with some black folks on two occasions recently and listened to their conservations about the issues of the day.)
We all know that the upset here on the part of the department is the fact that he is ... lobbying for an organization that is named Show-Me Cannabis, Wiegerts attorney told the Riverfront Times. And while cop becomes marijuana lobbyist isnt as embarrassing as cop becomes murder lobbyist, its still the sort of headline designed to irritate the top police brass. Thats a shame, because Wiegert has a really good point. His lawsuit notes that the draconian charges and consequences arising out of possession of small amounts of marijuana, in Plaintiffs view, has become a detriment on societys resources and to society.
Its also a drain on police department resources: of the 204 controlled substance arrests the St. Louis Police Department reported in February 2013, 84 of themjust more than 40 percentinvolved either the possession or sale of marijuana. Cops waste a lot of time and effort on marijuana violations, and I dont think it undermines a police departments authority if its members acknowledge that fact.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/crime/2013/03/15/gary_wiegert_st_louis_cop_moonlights_as_pro_marijuana_activist.html
As long as were on the topic of cops who get mixed up with illegal drugs, I wanted to mention the strange case of St. Louis police officer Gary Wiegert, otherwise known as Sgt. Feelgood. In February, Wiegert got approval to take a second job, as many cops do. Unfortunately for the department, Wiegerts second job was as a lobbyist for Show-Me Cannabis, a group that advocates for reforming Missouris marijuana laws. Wiegerts embarrassed superiors moved quickly to harsh his buzz, revoking its approval of his outside employment. This week, Wiegert sued the department, alleging it was restricting his First Amendment rights.
You can understand the departments chagrin. And I get the sense that Wiegerthes a committed libertarian who once hosted a radio show called Cop Talkdoes this sort of button-pushing thing fairly often. But the department apparently has no problem with its officers pursuing political activities; before this, Wiegert was registered as a lobbyist for the St. Louis Tea Party. (The most recent post on the St. Louis Tea Partys blog begins with I sat down with some black folks on two occasions recently and listened to their conservations about the issues of the day.)
We all know that the upset here on the part of the department is the fact that he is ... lobbying for an organization that is named Show-Me Cannabis, Wiegerts attorney told the Riverfront Times. And while cop becomes marijuana lobbyist isnt as embarrassing as cop becomes murder lobbyist, its still the sort of headline designed to irritate the top police brass. Thats a shame, because Wiegert has a really good point. His lawsuit notes that the draconian charges and consequences arising out of possession of small amounts of marijuana, in Plaintiffs view, has become a detriment on societys resources and to society.
Its also a drain on police department resources: of the 204 controlled substance arrests the St. Louis Police Department reported in February 2013, 84 of themjust more than 40 percentinvolved either the possession or sale of marijuana. Cops waste a lot of time and effort on marijuana violations, and I dont think it undermines a police departments authority if its members acknowledge that fact.
