MAR 06

Deputy Commissioner of Police, James Clarkson says that the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) will be looking at new strategies to deal with young drug peddlers in the country.

In an interview the with GRENADA TODAY last Thursday following the launch of the National Crime Reduction Strategy, Clarkson said he believes the continuous establishment of police boys clubs throughout the country is one of the best ways in which law-enforcement officials can effectively arrest the problem.

He cited the situation in which elder persons in the society in particular drug pushers are using children to peddle drugs.

"....We are seriously looking at the different ways of solving this problem", said Clarkson. "We have to try and target persons of the same ages, work with them because if they can help us to spread the message across to their compatriots to make them become aware of the dangers associated with such a practice then chances are that we may be able to bring the existing problem under control", he added.

According to Clarkson, the various police stations on the islands have been mandated to organise police boys clubs as part of community policing outreach programme of RGPF.

He lamented the fact that although illegal drug possession and trafficking carry serious penalties under the law, there is hardly anything the police can do, if someone who is considered to be a minor under the law is caught with the substance.

"We have to do a lot of consultation because as long as they are under age there is hardly anything we can do", he said. Clarkson stated that law enforcement officials can use the option of giving such a person "a verbal scolding", as well as get in contact with the Ministry of Social Services whose responsibility is to get its consultants to speak with the offender and the parents.

However, Clarkson pointed out that in some cases when a child is caught with an illegal drug the parent can be held responsible. The No.2 man in the police force praised the implementation of the new crime strategy as timely, noting that although drug possession may be high, drug related violence is currently at a minimal in Grenada.