Youth aspiring to join the police force placed on bond for marijuana

THIS WEEK, a 20-year-old caught with Marijuana because he displayed obviously suspicious activity, told the court that he had been thinking of applying to join the Police Force before he was caught.

Geovanni Collins, who hails from Greiggs, was nabbed with 107g of the controlled drug on Sunday, January 19 in his home village.

A party of police officers were patrolling in the area, at around 12:30 pm on the said date, when the defendant was spotted with a group of men along the Greiggs public road.

He had a gold purse with him like those that vendors might keep money inside of, usually tied around the waist or strapped across the body.

Collins recognized that there were police in the area and he proceeded to fiddle with the purse before dropping it, and kicking it under a car. PC Forde stopped the transport, and approached the young man, and told him what he had observed.

The purse was retrieved, and a black plastic bag containing loose marijuana was found inside of it, as well as bamboo wrappers also containing cannabis.

When counted these wrappers amounted to 24.

A sum of EC$38 was also recovered: five $5s, one $10, three $1s. The police indicated that they believed this to be the proceeds of criminal activity.

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne asked the young man if he had anything to say in mitigation and he began that it was his first time committing an offence.

He said, speaking in a quiet voice, that “honestly this might sound funny” but he was actually going to apply to the police force before he was caught.

This caused some amusement and the magistrate to comment that it was just a little bit funny.

The magistrate said she took all the circumstances into account, and decided that she was starting at a non custodial. She noted that the defendant had tried to avoid detection “but I think that caused more detection by the very act,” and made him very suspicious to the police.

The magistrate asked the defendant if he worked, and he answered no.

“So what do you do in the day time?” she asked him, to which he replied “Loiter.”

He also said he did the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate(CSEC) but did not go to the Community College.

After hearing his answers to her questions, the magistrate told him that he’s not spending his time wisely, “I have to tell you,” and that he hadn’t realized his full potential academically.

“Persons are coming into the Force now with degrees,” she told him. She suggested he go to the Technical College, and try to do something, since he is young and has the opportunity to renew himself.

Collins was placed on a bond for three months, during which time if he breaches the conditions of the bond, he must pay $900 forthwith or spend three months in prison.