Chief Segalla Clarifies Remarks On Marijuana

Reading Police Chief Mark Segalla spoke to the School Committee Monday night to clarify comments he made to the Board of Selectmen last Wednesday.

"In my remarks on Wednesday, I was speaking generally about the experiences of law enforcement since the passage of the marijuana ballot measure last year. In my remarks, I said "we deal with marijuana with kids now in the high school on a daily basis.

To clarify, I did not mean or intend to imply that the Reading Police Department responds to the Reading High School every day for drug issues. This is not the case. I meant, in my remarks, that we have seen a sharp increase in marijuana use, possession, and illness as a result of marijuana use and marijuana edibles among high school age youth recently.

Our department deals with teenagers and marijuana, on average, every day. There is, in my opinion, a feeling among youth we encounter, on calls for service, that marijuana is 'OK' now because of the law change, even though marijuana remains illegal for those under 21.

The issue of drugs, including marijuana, opioids, and others, remains a leading cause of both crime and medical emergency in our communities, and it is something we encounter every day as police officers. I hope this offers clarification, and I regret any confusion."