Police departments nationwide are experiencing a shortage of officers — locally, the I-Team found out some of them are trading in their badges and going into an industry even they least expected.
Take Joe Patterson, for example. He spent 11 years with the St. Louis County Police Department, many of them with the Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force where arresting people for marijuana possession and trafficking was a common occurrence.
That all changed two years ago when Missouri legalized medical marijuana.
“The state of Missouri has put together a very comprehensive plan to keep these businesses heavily regulated, and there’s a strong emphasis on security,” Patterson said.
So, these days, Patterson can be found inspecting medical marijuana dispensaries.