The Little Rock Board of Directors is set to decide next week whether to make misdemeanor marijuana-possession arrests the lowest priority of the Police Department, and the police chief isn't supportive.

City Director Ken Richardson introduced the ordinance that appeared on the board's agenda for discussion Tuesday. City directors will vote on the proposal next Tuesday.

The ordinance says low-level marijuana charges clog court dockets, fill jail cells needed to hold dangerous individuals, and often result in the loss of employment and educational opportunities for the offender.

"It's not legitimizing it, not de-criminalizing it, not legalizing it, it's lowering it on the list of priority for our Little Rock Police Department, and I've been told that's our current approach by a number of people," Richardson said Tuesday.

Police Chief Kenton Buckner said the department already treats simple marijuana possession as a low priority in practice because it has more important and violent crimes to focus on, but he said putting that policy in writing would be detrimental to the city's safety.

For example, Buckner said, officers often search vehicles once they smell marijuana, because that gives them probable cause. Such searches many times uncover more serious criminal violations that lead to arrests on the bigger charges, Buckner said.

If officers were forced to ignore the marijuana possession, he said, they would miss out on stopping a more serious crime.

Buckner also said any adult arrested solely on a misdemeanor marijuana charge is taken to the jail, booked and then discharged without occupying a cell.

"I challenge you to find anyone sitting in the Pulaski County jail today solely for use of marijuana. You can't even get people in the jail for nonviolent felonies. Felonies. Think about what I just said. So it's a low priority for us, I promise you that," Buckner said.

Last year, the Little Rock Police Department made 824 marijuana-possession arrests, according to the department. That includes both misdemeanor and felony offenses. The department's records management system does not distinguish between the levels.