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Main Page UMASS PD vs Cannabis Reform Coalition
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: SouthSideCobras

Who's threatening society?

Jonathan Werner, a UMass student.

Posted: 12/1/06

Back in the beginning of the semester, the University of Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition scheduled a meeting with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Michael Gargano. Three days before the meeting he cancelled on us.

The meeting concerned new policies he enacted under the guise of increasing public safety on campus. However, what these policies did was increase the police manpower devoted to arresting small-time users of marijuana.

Now, police officers, both plain-clothed and uniformed, routinely patrol the halls of our dorms. Using tactics such as impersonating "Bruno's" delivery guys and pretending to be from down the hall or working for some student organization, they seek out any and all users indiscriminately. They don't go after people who pose a problem, or even people who were being loud and obnoxious.

The effect of this has been a threefold increased number of arrests for petty possession since the policy was started. At the same time as the rise of the arrest rate, the punishment has also increased.

After each person is arrested he or she is immediately suspended because he or she poses an "imminent threat to the community." Many people have been kicked off campus housing, and there is a high rate of expulsion.

Marijuana is an illegal drug, and the police have every right and even obligation to enforce the law. However, the increased pressure on the drug is pointless. Small-time marijuana users pose no greater threat to safety than anyone else.

They are not contributing to the violence on campus nearly as much as people, who say, get intoxicated and run through their dorms peeing in random rooms. There is only one possible way that marijuana users could pose a threat to the community, and the official excuse for the policy; If the user had massive quantities of the drug, there could be armed robberies which could lead to violence or even death.

However, the police are not going after the major dealers for whom this scenario is actually a realistic threat. Instead they arbitrarily go after any small-time user they can. I have a friend who is a high honors student. She was smoking alone in Durfee Conservatory, and was arrested by an undercover cop and suspended, for the obvious threat she posed to everyone around her.

Three weeks ago we (the UMass Cannabis Reform Coalition) again went to the vice chancellor's office to make an appointment. It was impossible to even get on his schedule until Dec. 1, three weeks later. We patiently waited eager for an opportunity to express our opinion, and the opinion of over 1,300 people who had signed our petition.

I didn't expect him to change the policy, but I at least expected him to listen to us and to defend his position. Instead on Monday his secretary called me and told me the meeting was cancelled because Gargano didn't want to meet with us, and would not meet with us in the future. She explained that the increase in arrests was to change our reputation as a party school, a goal unrelated to public safety.

The problem is the idea that more marijuana arrests are going to reduce our reputation as a party school is flawed. The UMass Police Department has made no claims that the increase in arrests has had any impact on marijuana usage. The policy is ineffective at curtailing use and is only succeeding in arresting more people, and ruining more lives. It also increases the police record for number of arrests; essentially their plan is working against their goal.

More than anything I am upset that the administration refuses to talk to students about its policies, it refuses even to talk to a Registered Student Organization. This gives the impression of a detached administration, which refuses to open lines of communications with students and would rather act sneakily behind our backs making decisions that students have no way of influencing. Gargano needs to be sacked, and replaced with a more transparent vice chancellor who works in the best interest of the student body.

Posted by: 209

Stop smoking dope retards then you wont get arrested...DUH

Posted by: brkfldpo

Quote:

Originally Posted by 209

Stop smoking dope retards then you wont get arrested...DUH

I agree.

Posted by: Wolfman

Grow up, punk.

Posted by: mikeyd1313

An article saying that police are cruel because they ruin lives by arresting dopeheads. Arrest more.

Posted by: Inspector

Good to hear UMASS P.D. is stepping up crackdown on dope users on campus. When are they ever going to learn they have no right to violate laws...whether or not they disagree with them...and then get upset because someone makes enforcement a priority. If they don't like enforcement at UMass then the should move on to some other college where they can linger in an stoned haze while real learning goes on elsewhere and they don't get an education subsidized by the Commonwealth.

Posted by: justanotherparatrooper

Lets face it..were not talking about the sharpest knives inthe drawer! Its not even worth breaking down his argument point to point.

Posted by: daxxkid

This is like saying: "Officer I was doing 100phm at 330am, but it didn't cause any harm to anyone, why would I get a ticket, it is not right, don't you have better things to do?" Go UMASS keep up the good work.

Posted by: dcs2244

While I may have a different view about drug prohibition than most members on this board, the fact remains that the use of marijuana is NOT LAWFUL. So my advice to you is "do not use marijuana". If you follow my advice, you will not be arrested for marijuana use. However, if you choose to be present at a place where the drug is being used...can you say "constructive possession"? Sure, I knew you could...

Try clove cigarettes instead...the cop may mistake it for marijuana and arrest you...then you could sue for big bucks!

Of course, then you'd be tagged as a Bolshevik (or at least a Menshevik) and be on an FBI list for the rest of your puny life!

No doubt Citizen Werner smokes Camel 'Reds'...

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Posted by: stash9009

I have a great idea for those UMASS kids who want to smoke weed even though it is illegal and even though their police are cracking down on it: go somewhere far off campus to smoke weed!

Simple, yet effective.

Posted by: matt34

I am a current Umass senior and a Sociology/Criminal Justice major. For me, the novelty of this side-show attraction masked as a legitamate student organization wore off within my first three minutes on campus. I hate the fact that while my student loans are pileing up as I work toward a career in law enforcement, some of the money I am spending to go to this school is going to support organizations like this one, which bring down the image and quality of the university.

I knew some people in high school, and enough in college who smoke pot. Personally I've never tried it and nothing annoys me more than someone who is obnoxiously high. They want everyone to know "Dude I'm so high" and think they are so funny. In actuallity they're just amazingly stupid. You go to college to gain knowlege, yet you spend 4 years (probably more) inhibiting your ability to comprehend anything. And regardless of what you think, you are not a brilliant writer or philosipher when you're high, you are actually unbearably stupid and nowhere near profound.

I'm not saying this because I feel I am better than somone who tried or does smoke pot, or that smoking pot is the worst crime anyone could commit. Alot of good people have tried it before. Although they may not have joined a club to legalize it and network with other people for the sake of getting high together. As far as the university goes, I too am sick of the administration railroading students, they really squeeze everyone for their last dollar and have no respect for their students. However, I think this issue is rediculous and a waste of campus resources. If you really feel strongly about the rights issue take it up with the legislature. You cannot expect the administration of a university to change the rule of law as they see fit, and you certainly cannot expect a bonafide police force to support the use of illegal substances. This is not to mention the fact that while the kid who smokes pot in his room by himself may not be harmful in general, there is a huge problem with people dealing drugs on campus out of dorm rooms, and not just marijuana.

**Sorry for the novel**

Posted by: HELPMe

Good I am glad they are finally stepping it up over there. I had an ex gf that went there and i was AMAZED at what the kids did and got away with. Underage drinking is everywhere, weed, tabs even coke is readily available for these kids. Needless to say she flunked out. The kids that go to umass amherst are a different breed. They just want to party and coast threw life. That attitude pisses me off, i work damn hard for my education. I work in excess of 48 hrs a week and take 3 to 4 classes a semester not to mention summer classes. If mommy and daddy would cut these kids off and make them work for their own money and set standards they wouldnt be so inclined to slack off and have to get taught a lifes lesson by the Campus Police.

As far as the "Cannabis reforms coalition" do you blame the president for not wanting to talk with these idiots? The name itself suggest a bunch of pot using retards who just want to b@tch because they are getting busted. Oh, well. You decided to commit an illegal act then deal with the consequences. In most cases the kids just get written up and sent to a judicial anyway. The police are not "destroying lives" they are destroying their own lives by engaging in that behavior. It doesnt have to be just weed i dont care if you drink the night before an exam, smoke weed before your test, blow lines off your key board whatever, the fact is that you are inhibiting your ability to learn and taking part in behavior that is both illegal and dangerous.

What the president needs to do is shut down those damn frats if he really wants to change their image and let the kids who are 21+ go drink in the town instead of hitting on 17 year olds and raping them.

Posted by: Bravo2-7

Ah the Cannibis Reform Coalition, oh how I miss the five years of comedy they provided.

Posted by: matt34

Quote:

Originally Posted by HELPMe

The kids that go to umass amherst are a different breed. They just want to party and coast threw life. That attitude pisses me off, i work damn hard for my education. I work in excess of 48 hrs a week and take 3 to 4 classes a semester not to mention summer classes. If mommy and daddy would cut these kids off and make them work for their own money and set standards they wouldnt be so inclined to slack off and have to get taught a lifes lesson by the Campus Police.

That is a rediculous generalization. If you really believe that you can generalize 26000 people like that, then maybe you need to look at taking those 3-4 classes a semester at another institution. The university has its share of hard working students and many come here for the quality of education and research capabilities that are available to those who pursue it. I understand the reputation of a school will always be attached to the degrees it confers, but it is offensive for you to say that ALL people who go to this school are looking to be drunk and stoned and not learn. We have a long list of accomplished graduates and influential people. If you had any sense of reality you would understand that almost every school has those who excel, those who are slackers and many who are average. By the way I have over $50,000 worth of student loans in my own name that I am responsible for. My parents are not just throwing money at me, I have worked since I was 14, so don't preach here about work ethic in ALL Umass students.

**By the way, they have already stared ripping down many of the frat houses.**

Posted by: dcs2244

Sorry, kid, many of us have gone to school, worked full time AND raised a family all at the same time. My dad did, my brother and his wife did and I did. We all paid our way without recompense from Mama/Dada. I reckon my studies at RIT and MIT are far beneath the level of educational excellence at UMASS Amherst...or any Zoo Mass school. In fact, my dad (who studied at Buffalo State) had to compete with those nasty, syphilitic veterans from the second world war and their GI Bill...he was able to hold his own, grade-wise (when grades actually counted for something). Could you?

Posted by: matt34

DSC, you and your family are exactly what i'm talking about. Hard-working people who put in the work and earned what they have today. Just as you did it at your colleges, there are people who do it at Umass. My problem was with the comment by HelpMe saying that all umass student go there because it is easy to pass and they can drink and smoke all the time. My point was simply that there are hard-working students at Umass just like there are at every other college and just because someone graduates from Umass, does not mean they had a free ride for 4 years.

I'm certainly not saying Umass is Ivy League caliber. What i did say is that because of the good faculty and large amount of research on campus, if a student wishes to try hard and get a good well-rounded education, they can do so. Just like anywhere, you get out what you put in. Personally I know I can hold my own academically anywhere. However, there is much more that goes into choosing a college than trying to get into the hardest one possible. Going to school in Amherst was fine for four years undergraduate. However I know that grad school will be part-time and closer to home. I don't live near Harvard, MIT or Boston College, but does picking a school that suits someones individual needs mean that they are any less intelligent?

It is important to remember that while some Umass student will earn PhD's at Harvard and Yale, others will last only a semester. The same goes for Holy Cross, Princeton, Brown, RIT and even MIT. College admission is not simply based on intelligence, it is based on academic performance (very different), diversity, athletics, and connections. This is not to say you don't usually need to be intelligent to get into an MIT or Yale, but likewise, you don't need to be an alcoholic to be accepted to Umass.

Posted by: HELPMe

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt34

Your right I did generalize. When I visited my ex gf I was asked on numerous occasions to buy beer, buy/smoke weed, acid etc. Also take note that this wasnt the same group of kids in her dorm. It was all over campus. From catching kids drinking in the woods and smoking weed to hearing the horror stories that occur at those "frat" houses. So yes my opinion is a little biased. That school has a stigma of being a party school that attracts a large percentage of those who choose to attend there. "Zoomass" is what those who attend that institution like to call it with good reason. Do yourself a favor and look up your police log sometime. Ask to see the stats on rape, 94c, assault, alcohol offences etc. You will be amazed. Granted its a large institution but the amount of offences committed is unreal.

You bitch about 50k in debt? I wish i had that. I have almost 72k and I commute. I take night classes work my regular shift then whatever openings there are. This week alone I will have 56hrs plus i have finals. Tell you what, working for my education has made me appreciate it that much more instead of relying on mommy and daddy to pay my way and give me an allowance. This is the value that all students need to learn. If you have to pay the cost yourself then you wont be so inclined to f(ck up.

Posted by: Bravo2-7

Guys, lets just put this to rest and agree that both of you have a valid point. With 26,000-plus students there are going to be all kinds, you can't generalize, we all know that. First of all, anyone who spends any amount of time at UMass quickly comes to the conclusion that the Cannabis Reform Coalition is a bunch of left-wing nuts who unfortunately were able to gain recognition as an Registered Student Organization.

I went to UMASS-Amherst for five years, and yes I did my fair share of drinking and going to parties, that is what college is for. That being said, I also was a student employee of the UMPD for all five years I was there. This, combined with the facts that A.) I knew that where I am now was my goal in life and I didn't need to screw it up by being an a*&hole in college, and B.) that my parents saw fit to pass on to me some common sense, kept me out of trouble. Having spent many a weekend night walking around the residential areas (not to mention the nights that certain off-campus apartment complexes took on the appearance of West Beirut), I saw a lot of the idiotic things that go on out there, and what happens when having a good time goes out the window in favor of being stupid, and then getting to the point of breaking the law.

I will say this about the UMPD, I had a high opinion of the department when I was there, and I still do to this day. I always thought they did an excellent job of enforcing the laws, but knowing the makeup of their jurisdiction, did an excellent job of showing a huge amount of restraint sometimes. I thought that they always tried to treat the student body with respect, even when portions of it did not warrant it. In short, a highly professional department. They work in probably the most unique environment in the state. Who here among us would really like to work in a place where 90, maybe 95% of our citizens are 18-23 years old, most of whom are being brainwashed by certain professors to distrust authority. And what is the most obvious sign of authority? The UMPD.

So guys before this goes back and forth for another page and a half, let's just agree to the fact that you are both right. There are good students at UMASS, who work hard. There are the so-so students (I fell into this category

) who find the balance between work and play. And finally there are the absolute idiots, who annoyed the rest of us constantly and who we always wondered how they ever made it out of there with a degree.
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Posted by: brk120

You hit it on the head, Bravo2-7

Posted by: matt34

Bravo, you are completely correct. I think you have a good perspective because you went there and worked for the PD. I have seen the police logs and Clery Act info and in all honesty it doesn't suprise me because I see the culture, even though it is rediculous. As help said, there is a stigma that goes with the school. All schools have reputations whether good or bad that will always be attached to their students. The truth is even though Umass is nowhere near a perfect school, much of its reputation is derived from the conditions in the late 80's and early 90's.

HelpMe, I totally agree with working for your own education making you less inclined to screw off. That was actually my point, there are those at Umass who do pay and take it seriously, in fact I private school students are probably more likely to be getting an education funded completely by their parents. I'm certainly not bitching about $50k, it was just to illustrate a point. Bravo is completely right though and when you think about it we both came to the same conclusion, the Pot Smokers Club is rediculous and kudos to UMPD for cracking down on the drug law violations.

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