Though he was invited multiple times, the Killeen police chief will not be attending a meeting that will discuss the decriminalization of marijuana later this month in Killeen, the Killeen Police Department said in a news release over the weekend.
“The Killeen Police Department would like to clarify on a news article posted by the Killeen Daily Herald on Friday, December 31, 2021, about a committee wanting to decriminalize marijuana in the City of Killeen,” KPD said in the news release issued Saturday. “The news article stated that Ms. Shirley Fleming, one of the committee organizers, invited Police Chief Charles Kimble to attend this meeting, however, it did not state that Chief Kimble declined the invitation. In fact, he declined the invitation on several occasions. No member of the Killeen Police Department will be in attendance.”
KPD added: “We want the community to know that department does not support to decriminalize marijuana and we will continue to follow the statute, Texas Health and Safety Code 481.121 – Possession of Marijuana, which is the Texas State Law.”
The Herald reported last week that Julie Oliver, an Austin Democrat who has run for Congress multiple times, is organizing a pair of meetings in Killeen this month on decriminalizing marijuana in Texas. She has organized similar efforts in the Austin area.
“We just feel that there is far more serious and worse crimes for KPD to focus on rather than someone carrying less than 2 ounces of marijuana,” Oliver said of the Killeen Police Department last week.
Oliver is working on the effort locally with Shirley Fleming, a former Killeen city councilwoman, who told the Herald last week the first meeting would be held Wednesday at Kids University, a facility in Killeen that typically holds after-school and locals events for children. Oliver said that meeting was a “planning meeting” and that it’s not open for public or the media. She did say she is organizing a separate Jan. 14 event in Killeen, which she described as a “press conference” in which the public would be invited. A location for that event is to be determined, Oliver said.
Fleming on Monday clarified this week’s meeting will no longer be held at Kids University, but she referred all other questions to Oliver.
Oliver could not immediately be reached on Monday.
Be the first to comment