Pubdate: Sat, 22 Mar 2014
Source: Standard, The (St. Catharines, CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 St. Catharines Standard
Contact: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/letters
Website: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/676
Author: Don Fraser

MCMULLAN, SECORD SPAR OVER MAYOR'S MARIJUANA RESOLUTION

Police Chiefs Want Right to Issue Tickets for Possession

St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan has tabled a motion at Niagara 
Region supporting the idea of letting police issue tickets for 
marijuana possession.

The motion asks that council back the resolution that was first 
proposed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. It calls 
for amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

That would give police officers the option to issue a ticket for 
simple possession - rather than making an arrest - but emphasizes its 
opposition to decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana.

McMullan's motion mentions the difficult court process involved in 
marijuana court cases that can result in disruptive criminal 
convictions and be a strain on police resources.

City councillor Peter Secord - also a mayoral candidate - said 
McMullan initially misinterpreted the Canadian police chiefs' position.

"In his motion (Thursday) ... the mayor is moving that regional 
council support the decriminalization of marijuana in Canada, which 
he states is the position of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of 
Police," said Secord in a release Thursday prior to that night's 
regional council meeting.

Secord acknowledged the wording of McMullan's final motion - tabled 
pending the Niagara Regional Police Service's position on the matter 
- - represents the association position. But Secord said his criticism stands.

"Especially something like this, get your wording right," said 
Secord, adding "I'm not on either side of this issue."

He said another major concern was that he, McMullan and councillors 
are municipal politicians.

"At the city level, we need to deal with city things."

He said McMullan's previous city council motion supporting Ukraine in 
the Crimea also seemed out of place, even if Secord and councillors 
supported it.

"It's not what we should be dealing with," he said. "Now he's taking 
.. the Region's time, when it's a federal issue."

McMullan said Secord had acknowledged to radio media "he'd never read 
the (full marijuana) motion; Peter needs to do his homework."

As for the marijuana motion: "My position is in complete alignment 
with our own Niagara Regional Police Chief Jeff McGuire as well as 
the (chiefs' association)," McMullan said.

"It's a law that needs t o be changed ... it shows a lack of 
understanding of the job of mayor to not recognize there's a regional 
component to (the marijuana legislation issue).

"It's common sense and would be supported by the residents of St. Catharines."

The mayor added Secord supported his earlier Ukraine motion, as did t 
he other city councillors.

St. Catharines regional councillor Al Caslin shared Secord's concern.

"The motion that came out to us first said specifically in the last 
sentence to decriminalize marijuana," Caslin said. "The first line in 
the police chiefs' resolution says they have no interest in 
decriminalizing marijuana.

"He changes i t because he realized he'd spoken out of turn ... at 
the end of the day, (McMullan's) goal is to be consistent with the 
Liberal party's notion of relaxing the laws or eliminating the laws 
decriminalizing marijuana."

In an e-mail, NRP spokesman Const. Derek Watson confirmed McGuire's 
support for the police chiefs' marijuana resolution.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom