Police Blotter
The following information was obtained from UW-Eau Claire Police Department records.
Towers Lot smokers
At 9:14 p.m. on May 3, a campus officer was dispatched to Murray Hall because of a reported odor of marijuana.
When she arrived at the residence hall, she met with the complainant, who is a Resident Assistant (RA) in the building. The officer and the RA then walked to the hall director’s office to discuss the matter further.
Around 9 p.m., the RA said she left her room and noticed a strong odor of marijuana that filled the hall. The officer went to the believed room of origin and could also smell a strong odor of marijuana. When smelling near the door frame, she also smelled a vague scent of perfume supposedly meant to cover the marijuana odor.
Before she knocked, the officer could hear talking in the room. The officer had to knock three times before the door was opened by a female subject, who turned out to be a resident of the room.
Upon entering the room, the officer noticed another female subject sitting on a futon. One of the subjects said they had smoked off campus about 30 minutes prior to the contact, and that’s why the odor of marijuana was coming from the room.
The officer said the smell was strong and noticeable all throughout the hall. She asked if the two subjects had smoked inside the room, and they said they hadn’t.
The subjects said they were scared because they saw cops outside, and that’s why it took so long to open the door. The officer asked if there was any marijuana in the room and was told there wasn’t. After getting permission to search the room, the officer found some alcohol and a vape pen underneath the subject’s pillow.
The officer asked where exactly they had smoked. They said they had smoked in the Towers Parking Lot and its surrounding areas. The officer told them this was UW-Eau Claire property, and that there’s an ordinance against the smoking or possession of marijuana on campus property.
The officer asked for permission to pat the subjects down, and the subjects consented, but nothing of interest was found.
One of the subjects was found to have a prior drug incident on their record. Because of this, she was given a citation for the use of marijuana, with a fine amount of $389.50. The subject with no drug history agreed to participate in the diversion program.
46th time’s the charm?
At 10:21 p.m. on May 3, a campus officer was on vehicle patrol following a vehicle traveling northbound on State Street. The vehicle was in the left lane and began to travel slowly down the State Street hill.
The officer checked the vehicle’s registration, and found it to be valid, so he passed the vehicle because of its slow speed. After passing, and seeing the driver was about the same age as the vehicle owner, he checked the driver’s license of the vehicle owner. It turned out that the driver was suspended from driving. Her license had also expired on May 2.
After turning around in the Hibbard Lot and to catch up to the vehicle, the officer turned on his emergency lights and pulled the vehicle over.
The driver said she was unaware of the suspension on her license; she thought it was valid. She said she had been making payments to pay off her fines, but did say hadn’t gone to the DMV to see about getting her license renewed.
There were two passengers in the vehicle. The officer returned to his squad car and checked their information. The passengers had no wants and were not on probation. The driver, however, was suspended to drive for failure to pay forfeitures. She also had 45 prior operating after suspension convictions.
The officer issued an operating after suspension citation, 46th offense, with a fine amount of $343.44. One of the passengers, who was valid to drive, switched positions with the driver. The officer cleared the scene.
Taylor Reisdorf is a graduate student in the English program who revels in both telling and engaging with compelling stories. This is her seventh semester with The Spectator. She prides herself in her adaptability and desire to continuously experience, learn, and appreciate new things.