I’ve been holding my comments regarding any predictions about how Seattle’s new police chief, and fellow Massachusetts native, Kathleen O’Toole, will pursue her office. I have already written about my positive views regarding her stellar law enforcement background both in the U.S. and Ireland. I was hopeful for positive things. Still, I’m now wondering if, in the case of Officer Randy Jokela’s, sarcastic marijuana citation, kerfuffle, she is missing an opportunity to acquire a visceral understanding of just how intensely negative her police officers feel toward Seattle’s current city attorney, Pothead Pete—Hey, “Petey” is already taken. After all, he has worked pretty hard to earn police officer’s enmity since assuming office by eschewing cops and embracing criminals. Do officers, once again, have to ask if they have a chief of police, or, instead, a chief of mayor (or city council) (or city attorney) (or even worse, of DOJ)?
I hope Chief O’Toole can see past, being new to Seattle, what she may view as simply a disrespectful or insubordinate officer. Officer Jokela’s scoff-drenched enforcement of Seattle’s laughable public marijuana-use law enforcement illuminates the cynicism with which a high percentage of Seattle’s police officers view the city attorney’s office in its current incarnation. The criminal-friendly/cop-hating record of Pothead Pete speaks for itself. Either using marijuana in public is against the law or it is not—make up your mind!
Jokela’s marijuana enforcement is full of biting sarcasm. It is quite evident in the tickets he writes. For example, on one of his citation’s officer’s notes, which was made public, the officer issues a ticket to one offender over the other dependent on the results of a coin toss. Seems Pothead Pete should appreciate the social justice aspect of such enforcement—completely arbitrary. Incidentally, Jokela allowed the offender to keep his pipe. Jokela never tried to hide his contempt because, like every other cop, he knows that Pothead Pete will very likely dismiss these citations. Don’t forget, they’re also trying to turn Jokela into a racist, bigot and a, umm, homelessist because the violators don’t have to good sense to break the law in proportion to their their race’s, ethnicity’s or homelessness’ proper percentage of the population.
This issue is not a matter of whether or not one favors or opposes marijuana legalization (being a consistent libertarian, I happen to support marijuana legalization, although, I do not endorse its use); this is about the propriety of a city attorney who is responsible for prosecuting lawbreakers on behalf of the citizens of Seattle. Pothead Pete shows more compassion, empathy and sympathy for Seattle’s creeps than he does for its cops.
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