SPD officer who issued dozens of pot tickets back on patrol

SEATTLE --  A police officer who was reassigned to desk duty after writing about 80 percent of the marijuana citations issued this year has been put back on regular patrol as an investigation into his conduct is ongoing, the Seattle Police Department said.

Randy Jokela, a 24-year veteran of the West Precinct, was taken off duty when it was discovered he wrote 66 of 83 marijuana tickets issued in 2014.

In some cases, Jokela seemed to mock city attorney Pete Holmes -- a vocal supporter of pot legalization -- in the tickets, calling him "Petey Holmes."

The office of professional accountability is conducting a review into Jokela's conduct.  But in the meantime, he has been allowed back on his regular patrol, SPD detectives said.

"The Director of OPA Pierce Murphy and Chief O’Toole conferred and decided that the investigation did not preclude the officer in question from returning to regular patrol duties," said SPD Detective Drew Fowler.

The discovery of the officer’s penchant for writing pot  citations stemmed from SPD’s first biannual report relating to marijuana enforcement. Holmes issued a statement following Jokela's reassignment.