Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is the latest community to join the ranks of those voting on initiatives that would make marijuana offenses the lowest law enforcement priority. Similar efforts have been victorious in Seattle and Oakland and the college town of Columbia, Missouri; and this year, Missoula, Montana, and three California cities -- Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Santa Monica -- already have lowest priority initiatives qualified for the ballot.
“We believe this is going to free up other police resources to deal with more serious crimes,” local NORML chapter president Ryan Denham told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette [15].
Eureka Springs Police Chief Earl Hyatt was not enthused, though he did sound a bit confused. He errantly told the Democrat-Gazette the measure would contradict state and federal law, but it would only direct police to set a policy regarding law enforcement priorities. “Whether it passes or not, if it’s in contradiction with state or federal law, it doesn’t count,” Hyatt said.
NORML's Denham told the local newspaper the campus group had originally set out to mount campaigns in Fayetteville, where the university is, but aborted those efforts after realizing they would fall short. Instead, they aimed at the smaller Eureka Springs, where only 144 valid signatures -- 15% of those voting in the last mayoral election -- were required. The group handed in 156.