District Attorney’s First Chance Program
The El Paso Police Department, the El Paso Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s office in conjunction with the Council of Judges worked together to create the First Chance Program. The First Chance Program is a diversion program offered by the El Paso District Attorney’s Office to first-time offenders who are caught with marijuana.
The First Chance Program went into effect on December 10, 2017. The program allows people who are solely caught with
four ounces or less of marijuana, and have no prior criminal record, to participate in community service and pay a fine, instead of being arrested and charged with a class B or class A misdemeanor. From the start of the program in December 10, 2017 to December 31, 2017, there were 79 Arrests for Possession of Marijuana under 4 ounces. From the 79 arrests, 42 were accepted into the program.
Social Host Ordinance
The El Paso Police Department, Health department, City of El Paso’s legal department, Paso del Norte Health Foundation, YMCA’s Shift Positive, and the Alcohol Impact Network worked together to create the state’s first Social Host Ordinance. On June 6, 2017 the Social Host Accountability Ordinance went into effect. The ordinance aims to reduce underage drinking and augments current Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TACB) laws already in place by imposing a civil penalty on violators. The per- son(s) allowing gatherings “where alcohol is consumed by, served to or in the possession of underage persons” may be issued a Notice of Violation which can carry up to a $1,000 civil penalty. Since the start of the enforcement to December 31, 2017, there were 18 cases.
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