MARYSVILLE, Wash., December 21, 2022—Citing the need to protect the general public and maintain a safe community, the Marysville City Council has adopted new laws prohibiting drug use in public places and disruptive or inappropriate transit behavior. The Council unanimously approved both actions at its December 12 meeting.
Similar to existing state laws that prohibit the use of alcohol and marijuana in public, the Marysville ordinance prohibits the use of controlled substances in public without a prescription. Violation of the new ordinance is a misdemeanor subject to arrest.
The second action makes a misdemeanor of disruptive and inappropriate conduct on transit vehicles and at transit stations and facilities, such as park-and-ride lots and bus stops. Adopting this ordinance allows Marysville police officers to enforce the existing state law through the municipal court instead of filing a case through the Snohomish County court system.
“Two areas of concern for our community are keeping our public spaces and transit routes safe for our residents and visitors,” Police Chief Erik Scairpon said. “Your police department continues to receive ongoing complaints about open-air drug use in public restrooms and parking lots. The community wants to feel safe and go about their day free from the dangers of those using illegal narcotics. With the changes to the state law over the past few years related to personal possession of narcotics, the Council’s action provides a vital tool to your police officers to get people help and hold them accountable.”
Chief Scairpon continued, “In addition to providing social service options and referrals, our officers can now address quality of life issues surrounding our transit system through our municipal court and take enforcement action if appropriate. These changes give us the tools to help keep the community safe in line with public expectations.”
SOURCE: City of Marysville press release
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
10 Responses
Making it illegal to do drugs in public does nothing to help with addiction in our area. Out of sight out the mind does not work
Yes I agree!!!! Also more help with getting the addicted homeless people that want help more resources like a room for rent ect.. also rides to appointments such as Suboxone/ methadone clinics, doctors appointments, Dshs/ SSI ect… I’m tired of the homeless being harassed and given no help. I for one am homeless and was in the hospital and just got out yesterday and got onto methadone and got plugged into the methadone clinic and I start today but what does the hospital do….? Put me back on the streets to fail….well I’m strong willed so I’m going to my appointment. But not everyone is strong willed like me unfortunately but not their fault being homeless and cold of course you want to get high life sucks!!!
Whoever is in charge of community safety and the well being of its citizens is doing a poor job , from lack of knowledge or lack of caring about there citizens. The citizens are over extended on all the taxes, fees that’s suppose to go to its community and nothing changes. The mismanagement of building mass over priced multifamily Apts and over populating areas are just a couple of problems that causes so much stress and problems in our community. Way over taxed, way over populated. It should be criminal to constantly raise and add taxes for certain needs but once that need is filled it never goes back down they just create another need and add more. The amount of revenue this particular county receives in property tax, and federal grants each year doesn’t compute. Any mathematician will agree. Each town in Snohomish Co. Has two or more High schools, middle schools, elementary schools already. Every fire dept and police station has brand new equipment every year all the roads that are built had been built since the 50s and 60s on a far less budget. And yet barely get maintained. We have brand new hospitals brand new jails and all the schools, roads,hospitals,equipment, personnel, facilities,courtrooms,jails have been paid for over and over and taxs never go down they just keep steady rising so where is the revenue going? Explain to me like I’m 5 yrs old. The current agenda for our government is more taxes more laws, no accounting no accountability, and that’s what we get for electing out of touch and minimal knowledge confused individuals that that only purpose is themselves either bcz of greed, or power or both. Some of these homeless citizens have more knowledge and credibility and credentials then our community officials. Each official should be closely evaluated by each citizen and a overview on the accounting and we would find Snohomish County is more rich than country’s and has minimal accountability with lack of understanding and knowledge of its officials.