Pubdate: Sat, 17 Feb 2018 Source: Standard Freeholder (Cornwall, CN ON) Copyright: 2018 Cornwall Standard Freeholder Contact: http://www.standard-freeholder.com/letters Website: http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1169 Author: Alan S. Hale Page: A1 COPS CONCERNED OVER COSTS OF LEGAL POT Dealing with the impact of marijuana legalization is expected to be one of the year's biggest challenges for the Cornwall Community Police Service, according to Chief-designate Danny Aikman. "Obviously there is a lot of attention being paid the legalization of marijuana and the impact that will have on municipalities as well as police forces," he said. The Cornwall police are concerned their costs could increase because of the change in the law, and Aikman said just because possession will be legal, doesn't mean enforcement efforts can be stopped. There are two main issues at play when it comes what the Cornwall police will do after recreational cannabis becomes legal. The first is that it would still be illegal for anyone to sell marijuana outside of stores run by the provincial government. Second, Cornwall is not one of the communities that is getting one of those stores right away. "One can very easily imagine that someone else will try to fill that void," he said. "We will have to continue with our efforts on impacting the sale of illegal cannabis. Organized crime is not just going to stand down from the distribution of what are now illegal drugs." Something not brought up during the budget steering committee where Aik man was making his presentation, was the Mo hawk Council of Akwesasne's current consideration whether its community would open a legal dispensary. Nonetheless, a big part of the police force's planning process ahead of legalization is how to keep the pressure on illegal sellers. Another concern for the Cornwall police is impaired driving caused by people smoking otherwise legal pot. There continues to be no impairment test for marijuana that is as reliable and easy to use as a breathalyzer is for alcohol impairment. The best Cornwall police can do right now is get its traffic officers trained as drug impairment recognition experts - the techniques of which are admissible in court. "We only have three of those experts and the training program for them is quite extensive and quite expensive," said Aikman. "There is no simple, easy test for THC." Coun. Bernadette Clement wanted to know if the police are planning to do any public messaging about what their role will be after legalization. Aikman said they had no money in their budget set aside specifically for that, but they are hoping to come up with some kind of effective communication plan. But even the police service isn't quite sure what is going to happen, or how much it will cost to adjust "The lack of information coming from the province and and the federal government with regards to how this will all play out is frustrating," said the chief-designate. "I've read many media articles from other chiefs of police who are predicting massive new costs to implement this particular piece of legislation. I have a grasp about what it is going to cost us because I don't know what it is we are predicting." That said, once more concrete information does make its way out of Ottawa or Queen's Park, the plan is to work with city administration to come up with a strategy. In the meantime, the Cornwall police are sending some of their officers to a conference on the subject in May. "The legislation is tentatively is coming into effect in July, so we're not going to have a lot of time to come up with a strategy," said Aikman. "I could see this becoming a 2019 initiative where we are playing catch-up." - --- MAP posted-by: Matt