I write to you today in regards to the policy 12.04.01.16 found in Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) , which prohibits the hiring of potential recruits with past use or sale of drugs. Specifically, the drug marijuana. I do not intend to request a change of the policy, in terms of abolishing the policy all together but rather establishing a statue of limitation that deems applicants eligible for hire after five years of the initial offense. I understand the purpose of the policy and I highly value and respect this standard. 

After recently graduating from college with a bachelors in Criminal Justice and a minor in Forensic Science, I saw my future in becoming a police officer. Therefore, I applied to various police departments including the Baltimore County Police Department, University of Maryland College Park PD, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County PD. I soon realized that my aspirations of that reality would come to an end due to a one time incident of selling marijuana to a friend at twenty years of age. I was never convicted for this incident, but aspired to be transparent on the application. I was denied for being truthful and upholding integrity, a character trait that is highly valued in law enforcement. What I did was wrong I want that to be made clear, I fully regret and wish I could revisit and change my past but I cannot. All that I can do is show by my lifestyle and through the testimony of others, that who I am at 27 years of age is a mature completely redeemed individual, who wants to provide true justice and serve others with sincerity and love. Due to the rigidness of this policy, I may never be eligible to serve and protect a community that I so dearly wanted to help, build up, and love.

A reversal was recently made to the 1970-era policy which rejected recruits on the amount of marijuana usage up to a given age or at all. I strongly desire for the same scrutiny to be applied to the 12.04.01.16 policy, so that present and future candidates are not rejected solely on their past, especially when they are demonstrating evidence of consistent change. Thus, exemplifying integrity and honesty. Therefore, my hope and prayer is that this change would promote probity from the beginning of an applicants journey to becoming a law enforcement officer and within the presently established institution.