AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police Department announced on Thursday that it will no longer issue citations or arrest residents for misdemeanor personal marijuana possession.
A memo from Police Chief Brian Manley reads:
“APD will no longer cite or arrest individuals with sufficient identification for Class A or Class B misdemeanor “possession of marijuana” offenses, unless there is an immediate threat to a person’s safety or doing so as part of the investigation of a high priority, felony-level narcotics case or the investigation of a violent felony.”
Back in January, the Austin City Council passed a resolution that effectively directed APD to “eliminate” the use of arrest unless under the threat of personal safety.
The Thursday announcement indicates that APD has revised its policies to comply with the council’s resolution.
Manley’s memo explains that the shift away from arresting and citing Austinites for low-level possession happened due to other statewide decisions as well. He points to a June 10, 2019, Texas House bill that authorized the production, manufacturing and sale of hemp crops and products.
Shortly after, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued would prioritize
resources on processing felony cases and not accept misdemeanor marijuana cases for analysis.
Manley says…