By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Uniform Public Offense Code is published by The League of Kansas Municipalities and adopted by cities throughout the state, receiving updates annually. The Great Bend City Council always adopts the ordinance but tweaks it to delete the section prohibiting the possession of marijuana, as a result, possession of marijuana is not a city violation, and instead gets prosecuted as a state or federal law.
Great Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark said possession of marijuana crimes are currently prosecuted in district court, even if they happen within city limits and are handled by police department officers.
"Right now, when we write a summons for marijuana cases it goes to district court, but it's our officers that are doing the work," said Haulmark. "Our officers are writing the reports, but when the subjects are fined or if there's anything that comes out of that, those funds go to the county. But it's our guys doing the work."
The updated ordinance will make possession of marijuana a city violation, allowing officers to submit such cases for prosecution in Municipal Court by the city attorney, rather than the county.
"The outgoing Barton County Attorney wanted to keep that in his arena, but he's leaving," said Haulmark. "Now is actually the time to have that discussion."
City Attorney Allen Glendenning said over the last couple of years, an average of 45 marijuana cases per year would have fallen back to the Municipal Court for prosecution.