Colorado State Flag
Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend of mine, Bill, from Colorado that had an experience with the police just outside of Sturgis this weekend. The officer said he pulled Bill over because of ‘safety concerns’ with the truck being driven. Where these safety concerns came from was confusing to Bill. The truck in question is a fairly new pickup truck and in great condition. In the bed of the pickup truck there was a tarp covering all of the camping equipment used by Bill and his wife. Nothing from the appearance of the truck seem out of the ordinary… Except maybe the Colorado license plate.
Bill says the police officer quickly checked the tarp, which was very well secured. Then without a pause asked Bill if he was in possession of any illegal substances. This appears to be the real reason Bill was pulled over. Apparently the officer was quite reluctant to believe Bill when he said he didn’t have any illegal substances. According to Bill the officer was about to do a search of his vehicle when the officer received a call on the radio to help with another situation. The officer then said Bill was free to leave, but that he would be on the lookout for the vehicle in the future.
I wasn’t going to do a post about this little incident until I looked at the Highway Patrol Sturgis Rally Daily Information posted yesterday. Of the three items in ‘Other Noteworthy Events’ two of them are for vehicles from Colorado:
A Colorado plated vehicle was stopped for equipment violations. A search revealed over 1 ½ pounds of Marijuana and THC edibles. The subjects in the vehicle were arrested and charged accordingly. The vehicle was seized, and is pending forfeiture through the Attorney General’s Office.
A Colorado motorcycle was stopped for a vehicle violation. A search revealed about two grams of suspected methamphetamine, two glass pipes, one of which having a white powder residue. The passenger was arrested and transported to the Lawrence County Jail and will be charged accordingly. The motorcycle was not seized.
Notice how both of the above ‘noteworthy events’ started with a Colorado vehicle being pulled over for some sort of vehicle check. The vehicles were then searched and illegal substances found. My question is this: are Colorado vehicles now being targeted because Marijuana has been legalized there? Bill and the two incidents reported above all have Colorado plates in common. How many vehicles with Colorado plates has the Highway Patrol been pulling over and harassing? Is SD Attorney General Marty Jackley going to target Colorado visitors so he can continue to be a leader in the failed War on Drugs? Or is the Highway Patrol doing this to make money off forfeitures?
I think even supporters of the failed War on Drugs should cringe at the South Dakota Highway pulling people over just to search their vehicles. There was one bright side to Bill’s encounter with the officer outside Sturgis. Before this encounter Bill didn’t care one way or the other about the War on Drugs because he doesn’t do or ever plan to do drugs. But now he is starting to believe the power abused by police in the War on Drugs is a large problem. If this trend continues Colorado will have to put out Public Service Announcements telling residents to avoid South Dakota because law enforcement there will harass and arrest Colorado residents. Somehow I think that would make AG Jackley proud…..
