Tobacco Documents Online

INDEPENDENT CITIZENS FOR EFFEC7TY/E GG1FERhlMENT C C Let'S set the record straight . a a Police - can they enforce L+moki~Eg pt~hi~"gfteo~ l~`A`e~+ ~ Some people believe that c71 ~@ i r.~ 6Ji E L E Gi~i0.7  enforcement of laws banning,g smoking in': public places is a simple matter.. But police officials do not support this idea. Here are some comments from law enforcement authorities on the subject. r"It appears on the surface that aniti•smoking laws being proposed are. addit!ional nuisance lawss givento~ the police department withoutt adequately respondingg with necessary'resourcesy toresponsibdy administrate them. Although I'don't smoke, Iwouldbe opposed to thiss type of' legislation because ofthepollicef enforce- ment problemsirt'umposes:' Chie/RobenP,Hanson, Seattle Police Department, 1977.. r'°Weare telling ouroffioers.to give.it theloweskpri- orft'y. Wnless.an.officer has.absolutelynothing to do, he Isn't going to go out and' give someone a citation for smoking In an unauthorized area'F Assistant Police Chief Michael Sgobba, San Diego, Cali- fornia, 1976. r°I'd like to knowwho's going to enrtorcetl (ho smok- ing faw)because Ilawrenforcementwon't have time..We have enough problems with criminals and'' traffic. withoutworryingt about smokers and n~onsmokers:' SheriN' Raynor Weizenecker, Putnam County;. New York, 1976. r"Violatfon of the, (smoking) taw...ls a misdle- meanor of the lowest order and as such will': receive absolutely no attention from our Department except.as. It mightbe neeessaryto respond to specif ic complaints. ....If anyone'is really serious about enforcing the Stat- ute and the regulations to the letter of the Iaw,Jit. seems to~ meit speaks toward hiring some sort: . of an army,,, armed: with citations booklets and loosed upon the un- suspecting public for some yet undetermined purpose"" Richard H. Rowan, Chief of' Police, St: Paul, Minnesota, 1976. r. "We're not.going to go and llook.for smokersto ar, rest. We've got enoughproblemsh catchingg holdup, men and borgiars:' Unoersheritl Tom Rosa, Santa Clara County, California, 1976, r"Anti-smokiing fawswould be.Infringing on a.lbt of' people's rights:" Deputy Sheriff' Mary Lou Hansen, Cook County, Illinois, 1976. r°It.would be. hard to.enforce and a lot of paperworkk for a pettyr oftensee and it wouldn't be worthh the timeand effort9' Sheriff}farold Bray, Jefterson6ounry, Colorado, 1976, r•'You (city council) d'on'tt want too pass: some sort of legislation that weakens our powers to enHorce...l woulidhate to think that someone was injiuredl and somethingidestroyed because we couldn't geta policeof'ficertothe seene„while Ii wasartesting, someone for smoking In the.grocerysectiion of'a store"' Police. Chief Raymond B. Rucker, San Bernardino, Cali-lbrnia;,1977: These views'are representative of current thinking among membe rqist'653 552 the law enforcement community. They are significant because they come from sources responsible for public safety at a time when street crime is a major social problem. Consequently; police authorities across the na- tion are beginning to. express solid opposition to the current wave of proa posed anti-smoking legislation.