Chief of Police Steven Siena is now having SUNY Old Westbury university police arrest students on campus if an officer finds someone smoking marijuana. “I told my staff that I expect an arrest to be made,” Chief Siena said.
Although not documented anywhere in the Code of Student Conduct, Chief Siena made it aware to incoming students at freshman and transfer orientation and resident assistants during their training that students will be arrested if caught with marijuana. While not a new policy, Chief Siena is now making sure that everyone knows that UP will be making arrests for marijuana.
According to the Code of Student Conduct section 4.B.7 states that “Drugs. Possession of, sale of, consumption, distribution of, being under the influence of, or knowingly being in the presence of narcotics or other controlled substances is prohibited except as expressly permitted by law.”
Section 7 states “Sanctions are considered to be both educational and constructive although it [sic] does not preclude punitive action.”
“I didn’t feel filing just a student misconduct was a sufficient deterrent to our community,” stated Chief Siena. “When I first arrived on this campus, three and a half or four years ago, our policy of dealing with marijuana was to write a student misconduct, and like other laws of the State of New York continue to apply them to the Old Westbury campus. I feel like we were wasting an incredible amount of time on calls dealing with [marijuana].”
Chief Siena continued to state that as he was transforming the leadership of UP he was taking the “binds off the police department” and if officers wanted to make an arrest and lawfully can, they should.
Custodial arrests will be made to students if caught smoking, meaning that students will be detained and reported to the Campus Student Conduct officer. However, there will be no permanent record of the arrest. Criminal arrests will be made for unlawful possession of marijuana and/or intent to sell. According to the New York State Laws and Penalties, more than 2 ounces of marijuana, would be a criminal amount.
Chief Siena stated that what is done outside of the 604-acres no longer is under UP jurisdiction. However, students who prefer to remain anonymous stated that they are questioned when they smoke off campus.
According to Chief Siena there have been arrests made for marijuana cases, however exact numbers were unable to be provided at this time.
