by SARAH THOMACK
St. Joseph Post
Every year around this time, new laws go into effect in Missouri and State Highway Patrol troopers are trained on the crime and traffic safety laws that apply to their jobs.
“We don’t make the law, we’re the enforcement arm of it,” says Sgt. Jake Angle with Troop H in St. Joseph. “So we just enforce the laws that are enacted by the legislature, that’s where we come in.”
Angle says, along with new laws training for troopers, they also work to get information out to the public about any changes.
“We just want people to be aware of what changed, what’s going on and encourage people if they have any questions, anything that we can answer for them not to hesitate to contact us and we’ll help them anyway we can,” Angle says. “(This year) there was some stuff cleaning up some language, I don’t think there was anything particularly earth shattering. I know the motorcycle helmet (change) received a lot of publicity.”
Angle says, regarding the helmet law, previously the law was that everyone had to wear a helmet while operating a motorcycle or motortricycle.
“The overall change was anyone 26-years or older, that provides proof of insurance, driver or passenger of the motorcycle or motortricycle, is not required to wear a helmet,” Angle says.
The law states: No person shall be stopped, inspected, or detained solely to determine compliance with these provisions.
“Meaning, if someone goes by on a motorcycle and I’m like, ‘Well, they look like they’re 26, but I’m not for sure,’ we can’t stop them for just that,” Angle says. “In other words, if I check them speeding and I have a reason to stop them, then I can check for compliance of their age and everything for the helmet law, but I can’t stop them just to inquire on their age.”
Another new law references the marketing of medical marijuana edibles.
“If we were to stop someone out on the roadway and they had some edibles in there and they were legally licensed and everything to have those, but they were in the improper shapes - I think the law says, in the shape of a human, animal or fruit, things like that - then they would be in violation of that statute,” Angle says. “I think the goal there was so they can’t be marketed, make them maybe more attractive, more appealing to underage people, things like that.”
A summary of the new laws relating to crime and traffic safety can be found on the Missouri State Highway Patrol's website.