From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush said his department will not change its policy on marijuana arrests after an announcement this week by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Mark Pettway approved the use of uniform non-traffic citations and complaint forms for certain misdemeanor offenses, according to Capt. David Agee of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. That means people can be given a ticket for misdemeanor crimes such as possession of marijuana. Agee said deputies still have the option to arrest violators if the possession is tied to another serious crime.
Rush said for the city of Trussville, violators will still be arrested for possession of any illegal substance.
“We’re going to keep doing things the way we’ve been doing,” Rush said. “We feel like the way we are doing it now better serves our community. If Sheriff Pettway feels like his department needs to do cite and release, that’s his decision.”
Rush said people should not be confused by the change in Jefferson County. The method by which the county is enforcing these crimes does not mean marijuana possession is being decriminalized. He has advice for those concerned about carrying small amounts of marijuana with them into different jurisdictions.
“Don’t break the law, then you don’t have to worry about getting a ticket or going to jail,” Rush said.
Trussville Police do have the capability to write non-traffic citations. Officers often use their cite and release (or citation in lieu of arrest) policy for minor infractions such as ordinance violations. Rush said those are mostly related to curfew violations and animal nuisance cases.