Represenatives of five different agencies, including the V.I Police Department, patrolled St. Thomas over the weekend addressing everything from loitering, illegal drugs, traffic infractions and businesses complying with Virgin Islands law.
More than a dozen police officers along with law enforcement from the Departments of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, Planning and Natural Resources, Fire Services and Health patrolled the island Friday evening through the early morning hours of Saturday.
Gerald Jackson of Estate Contant was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute after being found with crack cocaine. Police also confiscated 16 dime bags and several grams of unpackaged marijuana.
Officers confronted a group of individuals loitering near the Contant car wash. Several people were searched for officer’s safety and Jackson was found with 30 small plastic bags of crack cocaine along with marijuana in a vial and a plastic baggie. The drugs tested positive following a field test. Jackson was arrested and held on a $10,000 bail and remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending his court appearance.
In the Michael J. Kerwin Terrace housing community police found sixteen dime bags of marijuana in an insulated bag hidden in vegetation near one building. More packages of marijuana were found near chairs set up in the area. The drugs were discarded by individuals moments before officers arrived on the scene, police said. Police removed chairs, benches and tables used by the loiterers and disposed of them. More chairs were taken from the vicinity of Silver Dollar after individuals fled when they saw police. Oswald Harris Court, Contant Knolls, Hidden Valley, Frydenhoj and other areas were canvassed by police. Several motorists were ticketed for various traffic infractions during random traffic checks.
Along the way, Fire, Consumers, DPNR and Health enforcement officers checked businesses for violations and reminded owners of the law. Several businesses were issued citations for noise ordinance, inadequate licenses and health violations. A business in Estate Smith Bay and another on Brookman Road were shut down by Health enforcement officers for health code violations.
St. Thomas Deputy Chief Dwayne DeGraff said the combined law enforcement initiative during saturated patrol sent the message that police will have zero tolerance for people violating V.I. law in the St. Thomas community.