Full scale police op nets teen ganja smokers
(CNS): A full scale police operation involving the helicopter, marine vessels, canine units, drug task force, special constables and regular officers netted just two teenagers for smoking ganja at Rum Point at the weekend. The RCIPS said that the operation led by officers from the Eastern Districts was to reassure residents and visitors, at the favourite weekend spot, that the police are focusing on stamping out crime in the area. Marine vessels Niven D and Tornado patrolled the sea and officers on Marine Unit wave runners also interacted with the boaters that were anchored there to root out any criminal behaviour, the police said. However, just two teenagers aged 16 and 17 were arrested over ganja and a knife.
Police said that the teens ended up behind bars on Sunday afternoon for consumption and possession of ganja and one was also arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon — namely a buck knife.
The RCIPS said it is committed to carrying out more of these types of operations in the future and will be working with other agencies to create a national Marine safety strategy, looking at all types of safety on the sea and rooting out criminal behaviour.
Chief Inspector Martin Bodden Jr, Commander of the Eastern Districts, said the operation was about providing a visible police presence, “to make sure that everyone who was taking part in the customary gathering at Rum Point was safe,” and free from crime.
“We have received a number of reports recently about people being involved in low level criminality and causing annoyance to the hundreds of law abiding people who enjoy the regular weekend celebrations. This operation willserve as a warning to the minority who do flout the law that they will be arrested,” the senior cop stated.
Sergeant Leslie Laing, the officer in charge said these types of operations will continue in the future. “Already we have received many positive comments from those who were in the area at the time. They say it was good to see the officers at Rum Point and that the presence not only delivered results through the arrests, but made them feel reassured that officers were doing all that they could to keep Rum Point crime free,” the officer added.
Category: Crime
try leave the youths n make um hold a lil medz..better than them runnin round wit guns killin each other…try go find the real criminals…the gun man n robbers…
This is a major embarassment for the RCIP. Why, on earth, are they focusing on such a minor thing as ganja possession. I don't know any sensible person who believes this drug should be illegal. At a time when this country has two missing women, dozens of unsolved murders and robberies why are they focussing on this harmless "offence?. Presumably so they can have a "sucsessful" operation to brag about. It's time this country looked very closely at how we deal with ganja.
Marijuana doesn't cause people to go around with machetes robbing people, crash their car, or murder people.
Liquor does though.
I agree. As does crack… and jeezus we got enough crackheads round this place. Spend these resources on crackheads and alcoholics and you will have a satisfied public following.
I don,t know if you all heard that low flying crop duster a few nights ago but a good friend of mine flew down from JA loaded with high grade Ganga seeds and since we've been having really good showers I figure after three runs from East End to West Bay in about three months there should be adequate herb for everyone who might be so inclined. I know this will piss off the dealers. Think of the money we'll save not having to pay $50,000.00 a year to keep them in Northward. If you think this is funny give it a Happy face.
Yea, making marijuana that available and legal would further make:
1) …the dealers remorseful since they would have to catch up and focus on an education to get a job, since the police would have more of their time devoted to catching thieves, robbers.
2) …the cops befuddled since how would they beef up their stats.
3)…the churches mad since they wouldn't be able to demonize its use and they would have to refocus on health issues like high-fructose corn syrup or mental-illness, drunk driving, and alcohol created diseases.
4) …politicians running in circles for another scapegoat for their white collar crimes.
5)…the justice system angry because prisoners/offenders createjobs and fines…and
6) …the office idiot frustrated who won' be able to use irrelevant personal information to gain leverage on his co-workers anymore.
7) …the alcohol distributers stressed since it will cut into their business (although they would probably wise-up and be a place where you could buy and filter out children from getting their hands on it).
8) …and it will especially make the common minded person confused who just can't seem to wrap around his/her head that while it may be true that all criminals use marijuana, barely any marijuana users are criminals.
…better to just remain in a state of paralysis and denial and blame marijuana on all our problems..
finally, keep up the good work; if it has to come to using as much force as possible then it's great.
my contractor group in Iraq had a saying; it's better to have and don't need than to need and don't have.
Exactly, if there is one thing I understand from the current status of the World Economy, its that everybody is swimming in money and assets. Get Real: Sufficiency without necessity means waste.
Easy pickings to bump up the (appalling) RCIPS statistics perhaps?
Just a quick note for all you degenerates who can read.
To all you guys who "sag" your pants and show your butt and underwear….did you know it originated in prison? It was a signal to the other MEN that you are "available". So if you wanna keep going around looking like your "available" for another dude to "tap that"… then keep thinking your cool while I think you look like a Fool!!! BTW they call it PBS (Prison Bitch Syndrome) 🙂 ………….AND PULL UP YOUR DAMN PANTS
and I thought Cayman was anti gay.
Is this what RCIP leadership diverted resources away from the search for the missing lady for? What a mess!!!!
CNS please consider changing the title of the article to "$100,000 Operation used to catch 2 criminals that will be fined $100".
And alllllllll of that for a couple spliffs. LOL. Cayman police need to take lessons from cops who work in some of the most dangerous and crime ridden cities in the US and UK.
And in other news today, the Police are planning their next major operation to combat, catch, fine and arrest criminals who have not paid their vehicle license coupon fees. The operation named "Blow Da Budget Before Year End Come" will involve roadblocks, chainmail, slingshots, spike strips, tear gas, the Helicopter backed up by the Concorde, High Speed Persuit Vehicles, Go-Faster Marine Vessels, Wave Runners, Hovercrafts, row boats, Jet Packs, Hang Gliders, the retired space shuttle, K9 and K10 Units, K9 Puppy Unit, Drug Task Force, Uniform Support Group, Regular Officers, Retired Police Officers, Special Constables, Extra Special Constables, Even More Really Special Constables, Battle Droids, Storm Troopers, Jabba the Hut, trainees that failed Police Academy, anyone related to a Police officer, anyone who has ever watched COPS, CSI, NCIS or The First 48. Temporary Acting Deputy Assistant Constable Borden Lone Lee will be coordinating the operation.
The expense of police resources will be nothing compared to the money that will be spent by Crown's Council and the Judiciary to prosecute the teenagers.
a simple road block and searching of cars with tinted windows would have revealed alot more……
While I am glad to see the Police working hard to fight crime, perhaps the same kind of effort could have been put into trying to find yet another missing young lady who seems to have vanished off the face of the earth without a trace.
This is why it should be decriminalized!!! Waste of time, money and makes the force look STUPID chasing smoke! And guess what ? These 2 boys are not going to jail anyway! So, big waste!
I will sleep soundly tonight knowing that these henious criminals have been apprehended for crimes against humanity. Maybe the use of a submarine, a tank and a police jet might be sensible additions to our under equipped service. Also vehices that are not left hand drive, like the new Dodge's. Both Bentley & Aston Martin make comfortable motor cars that would be very adept for cruising the Cayman Streets?
Two youths, a little spliff and a buck knife….WOW !
Umpteen unsolved robberies, a couple of shootings, kidnapping and murder, no problem man, the RCIPS on top of tings….!
These seem lil youths are leading to bigger crimminals in the future. However it does'nt seem like you dont care if they smoke a spliff, carry a buck knife but when they smoke that spliff and attack you and the police do as you suggested here , than lets hear your song then. Yes they should be brought to justice. Ant hills can grow into mounds ,get bigger and bigger.
You go RCIP.give them hell.
Oh please, get real. Only crackheads and alcoholics steal to support their habits, and its worldwide knowledge (except here perhaps) that ganja does not lead to worse things, and that money spent arresting and prosecuting folks for possession of ganja is money and resouces wasted.
Please rotate the picture 90* so we can see the true beauty of Rum Point! Thanks.
What a bunch of DORKS out there. I request you to rotate your picture so that we don't have to turn our heads sideways to view it and I get thumbs down. ROFLMAO.
BTW thanks for doing so.
Hopefully this will have the intended effect of letting the low level criminals that frequent the waters around Rum point that they actully can get caught and prosecuted without haveing to catch each one and run him through the system. If this works its money well spent. If not they will have to do it again and again until they are all re educated and or in jail. I belive the intention was to serve notice and not punishment. Hope all you degenerates got the message. The ball is in your court now. what will you do?
What will they do? Well, I think these young criminals might have finally gotten the message, if they want to avoid arrest and going to jail they will move on from smoking a spliff at Rum point and they will go rob someplace or shoot someone instead.
Is that what you would do? Explains a lot.
JUST COMMENTING, 16:12 Are you nuts. Can I pay for you to have your head examined.
This is a JOKE! I mean really it took all that to catch a couple kids smoking weed! Some of you would aplaud the effort of the RCIPS but theres alot more dangerous things going on in Cayman. I would wrather them catch a bunch of underage drinkers or something! lol
You know what's so funny. The real criminals that everyone is referring to were once youngsters in our own backyards. The don't stay young forever. They grow up, go to school, disrespect teachers, terrorize their classmates. Their parents go into school to curse out the principals and teachers and parents condoning bad behaviour and blaming it on everyone except themselves. They get bigger and are sent on to high schools where they continue to cause problems and sometimes they smoke weed (on the campus mind you). They may fight teachers …but the teachers aren't allowed to defend themselves (or they'll be reprimanded or fired) because "They are the adults". These same kids get a three day suspension and are permittd to return to high school where they smoke more weed and link up with other kids who get into the same problems. Sometimes the teachers may plead and beg for something to be done with these kids because they can see what's going to happen in a few years….but it falls on deaf ears.
These same kids leave school smoke more weed get into dealing drugs, guns, robbery etc and the community complains when the police arrest two teens for smoking weed! My goodness if parents were doing their own policing then we wouldnt have half the problems with crime that we do! These same two teens if not helped may probably grow up and rob/kill/harm you or your family so every crime should be considered serious crime. Look at Northward those hardened criminals were once teens and no one listened or cared when they were smoking "little weed". They graduated to murder and robbery. so instead of criticizing RCIPS you parents need to check your teens and talk to them about their friends and making good decisions . While you're at it you need to tell them to put down those Blackberries and pick up some books because….. dem fonze certainly aint helpin they gramma, readin or comprehention skillz.
To those of you who are parents of primary school aged children who are constantly getting into trouble ….the next time you're called in by the principal or teacher and they are talking to you about your child's disrespectful behaviour remember the expressions on the principal's faces because if you don't step up and take responsibility you'll be seeing those same expressions on the prison guard's face when you go to visit your child years from now at Northward or Fairbanks. Because believe it or not almost every primary school teacher/principal can list for you the children who are going to grow up to become criminals. It's scary.
P.S – School is starting soon. This may not be a good weekend to go out to the club. Stay home with your children and talk to them about goals and expectations. Life is getting hard and jobs are harder to find. By the time you know it they'll be graduating they don't stay little for long. Little criminals become bigger criminals in a matter of seconds.
AMEN!!! Thats the same thing i say!!!
Since unna want to defend these "weed smoking Teens", wait another 10yrs or so and defend them in court for Serious Crimes committed for not being punished for the Small ones!!!
Dont forget to carry them hand ins too!!!
I agree partially, Marijuana should be legalized, but it is off limits to kids until they have adult status. In the meantime they should be educated on how its use among other drugs(including foods that contain high fructose sugar) can/will cause great harm. Who knows, maybe some kids can even educate their parents. By the way you could have replaced “Marijuana” with “Alcohol” and “Smoking Weed” with “Drinking” and I would still agree, but I guess its only fashionable to demonize marijuana in the classical “Reefer Madness” sense.
Attention all thieves, murderers, kidnappers and violent criminals…George Town is now wide open on Sunday, as most other days…just stay away from Rum Point, because that is where all the police will be…out riding their jet skis, ships, and helicopters…after all…those two kids are the root of all evil….ganja and buck knives and all….you have to put a stop to this kind of heinous activity before they get badges and jet skis of their own!
I sincerely hope this is a momentum building police operation start with the "low hanging fruit" and quickly moving on to tackling serious crime.
Marine vessels? A helicopter? In a tourist area? Please… don't scare the tourists away. I am sure they could have apprehended these crooks some place else other than a tourist spot.
The tourist might have liked it knowing that they could relax in peace.
Hey guys,
why are you all so negative?
Isn't it fantastic they did NOT come up with worse? I like that.
I wonder what triggered the stunt.
Poor teenies, though. Wrong place wrong time.
LMAO wow great job RCIP, you guys are like will smith and Martin Lawrence from Bad Boys, and Bad boys 2 way to make us proud and safe. The RCIP are a joke. But a dangerous joke, when my house gets robbed you dont even take fingerprints or have me give a statement, but when these teenagers spark up a joint, Boyy theyll be in trouble
Good for them!!! Hope they lock them all up.
I dont know about you, but i am SICK of the DISRESPECT that the younger generations aregiving. I'm sure you live in a house, so smoke your ganja there!!!
Why do you have to come out in public and do so, around innocent families trying to enjoy a day out with the kids!! YES………………Rumpoint is for ME too!!!
People cant even enjoy themselves anymore because of Lack of Self Respect and drugs!!
And yes its a possibility that these SERIOUS CRIMES are being comitted by the WEED HEADS!!
Futhermore, to those that think this is a joke, next time the smokers and drinkers are interupting your personal time and making your family uncomfortable………………DONT BOTHER to call the Police…………….since you claim they have more important things to do!!!!
CAYMANIANS ARE TOO UNGRATEFUL!!!
I can only hope the world news does not make a mockery of this police mockery!
I agree with Rollin G 100%…..for what we SPEND annually on schools and police, we should be graduating Rhode Scholars and have zero crime.
It is our own GREEDY politicians and useless civil servants that keep feeding this monster we call goverment. Shame on us, shame, shame!!
I have been going Rum Point for over eight years now, and not once have i heard of any serious crime being comminted there on a Sunday afternoon, what they are going to accomplish with this is to cause people to not want to drive there any more, if i were a visitor to an Island and i went to a beach and I saw that kind of police operation going on, I would be frightined out of my wits!!!!!!!!! Why cant they solve the dissapearance of this poor girl? Concentrate on that kind of crime, not this petty crap. If they had put as much effort into solving the disappearance of this poor girl they may have been further ahead. I say this was all a sham to get the attention of the fact that they cannot solve or convict any murders or murderers in this Island. But I bet my last bottom dollar they mess these teen agers life up by giving them a record, while the murderers walk free. cha! talk about a waste of money, I wonders which brilliant mind sat down and tought that one up? Must be the RCIP PR department.
how about they try and net the gunmen and robbers?!..puppy know who to lick…we need serious officers from scotland yard that is not afraid to approach these criminals!
Looking at the large scale nature of the operation and the dissapointing results leads me to a couple of conclusions:
Either the intelligence leading to the operation was poor or the word got out.
Neither is acceptable.
This seems to make the assumption that the 'teens' were children out playing for the afternoon. I suspect not, and why are they carrying weapons. Have you seen the recent headlines on this site, how many teenagers (or were teenagers when they committed the crimes) have been mentioned in the past two weeks connected to serious crime. Blackbeards robbery, robbery at gas station bodden town etc etc. The RCIP will be damned if they do and damned if they don't, and this was in response to the public complaining. Let's not knock them, but encourage them to roll out this tactic to other areas. Time to claim the Island back.
So what they are proud of is spending $76,000 of tax payers money for a one day operation the netted them 2 kids with dried plants in ther pockets? Wow I fell safe now!
Could have had a better response, i.e. arresting the actual dealers just by waiting out in a couple of unmarked cars in the Fosters/KFC car park along WB Road at around 3.00am on an average Friday/Saturday night !
Plain for all to see !
Stupid stunt.
As someone already pointed out the RCIPS would have done more good simply operating road blocks on the route back from Rum Point – but then that wouldn't have been so high profile would it?
While this went on the real criminals were going about their business as usual.
Anyone like to file an FOI request to find out how much this exercise cost?
While some here may be inclined to chide our men and women in law-enforcement for cracking down on what seem like trivial infractions in a sea of of increased crime; it is seemingly small lapes in social behavior such as these, which lead to broader flouting of the law and abrogation of social responsibility. This has been proven in the past via policing results in other Countries and cultures. I am most pleased that these seemingly benign arrests have been made to send a message to social problem-actors, to remind misfits that disrespect of simple common-sensical law and order will not be tolerated in the Cayman Islands; and that such disrespect is unwelcome on our fair island and will be met with material consequences, jailtime, criminal records or loss of right to work.. Please bring on more such searches and the bigger problems of robbery and bodily harm will soon take care of themselves – as has been proven in other Countries and cultures … Well done RCIPS!
I can tell you Ganja, like any other drug, when educated on how to use correctly, can be harmless. If you really want to deter criminals from breaking into stores to purchase more drugs or from selling drugs, try to legalize them, educate people about the harms and uses, and let people choose for themselves. In some countries(norwegian) that have legalized drugs, there is instead a knowledge that you will not be capable of performing some tasks to your best ability and so some people, of there own volition, shy away from its use. There are several items that you can buy at any Pharmacy that would qualify as a drug and youcan't have it both ways that we legalize some drugs but not others. Alcohol has killed several people recently and continues to cause several accidents, and cause several health problems, yet we don't demonize people for that, because we accept that each person, given the facts, needs to choose for themselves. The only people benefiting right now from the concocted over-reaction of marijuana are the criminals who can charge excessive amounts for their drugs and the police who can buy some more toys. Sorry police, I'm with you on a whole range of issues excepts this one is hurting the community more than helping and wasting time, resources and effort.
I was wondering where you'd gone.
What a waste of money. The use of the helicopter on this 'operation' is a joke. How about catching some real criminals for a change?
I would have kept this one quiet RCIPS….alot of wasted resources to arrest to teenagers smoking weed….lol
Stamping out crime? Who did they say was smoking Ganga? Helicopter?
God help us!
While its fine and dandy that they are finally doing what they are being paid for, I think the hard core criminals, eg., KNOWN DRUG DEALERS, where are the teenagers getting the drugs from??? need to be looked at.
I think though this is ten years to late!!!! Does the word DENIAL mean anything?????
The police are afraid to go to the KNOWN drug dealers houses or areas where they are known to be dealing..come on we have over 300 police officers on an island 27 x 8???? with a population of under 60,000. This Island should a low crime Island, but again remember, we don't have crime in the Cayman Islands. Are we still preaching that?
Thank you RCIPS. You know it's really not the Ganja that make these people act like idiots. It's that they are idots. The few disrespect the fact that so many want to have a peaceful time up at rum point. They have to act like the stupid idiots they are. Many people never cared too much about Ganja but the fact is the idiots had to start bringing in guns, the cocaine and the crack which destroys the community, makes people steal, cheat, lie and be like they are. The drug dealers sure don't help themselves. They put a big spot right on themselves. So ya'll just stand around around with your pants down looking stupid in GT. The sceneryis too nice to be looking at your dumb a$$e$.
"Helicopter, marine vessels, canine units, drug task force, special constables and regular officers…"
…to sack TWO teenagers?! Now we getting somewhere! Buncha slackas…
I suggest that those constables and those officers and those dogs get on those vessels and follow that helicopter across the sound where they are all urgently needed.
Well its about time that the RCIP paid attention to the beach and road side at rumpoint on sunday. Its a shame that residents cant have an enjoyable afternoon on the beach, or their private propery. they cant even get into their own drive ways, no enforcement from the police or rumpoint. One can get a contact high any sunday afternoon from young offenders smoking weed right in the streets. The alchol consumption is rampant. Want to make money RCIP, after 4pm do a road block from rumpoint to old man bay junction heading to george town or queens highway and see how many DUI's you can pass out, it may surprise you.
You have got to be friggin kidding me !! Why aren't they doing beat patrols in GT and on WB road before, during and after the bars are closed instead? got to be a whole lot cheaper and a whole lot more productive
"Helicopter, marine vessels, canine unit, drugs task force, special constables and regular officers" to "net" two teenagers smoking pot? Heaven help us!! They must feel really great putting these two youngsters behind bars and the armed robbers and murderers are roaming free!!
"A full scale police operation involving the helicopter, marine vessels, canine units, drug task force, special constables and regular officers netted just two teenagers for smoking ganja at Rum Point at the weekend."
Did I read that correctly?
Helicopter
Marine Vessels
Canine Unit
Drug Task Force
Special Constables
Regulars Officer
To bust a couple of teenagers smoking a couple of joints? Really?
Well done RCIPS. I can now sleep safer in the knowledge that you've locked up two teenagers with a couple of joints and took away their buck knife.
Maybe if you'd put that much effort into the murders and robberies going on crime wouldn't be so bad. Get over the weed and start investing real crimes!!!
where do you think "real crime" starts? A lawless soceity is a lawless society it doesnt matter how small the crime. "give them a foot they take a yard" if we want to see a change in Cayman we need it to start in the home (hopefully non of the other weed heads on this thread arent parents), then the schools, and as far as I am concerned the police need to take the no-tolerance approach right back to when our biggest crimes were riding our bikes without a light….we learnt to respect the law and rules of a civilized society.
yea mann, smoking pot serious to this wattless govt. i might as well go killing off people and get a few yrs in jail then go smoke weed and get life. so they stay here STUPID!! dumb laws for simple things.
While I applaud the effort and show of force, I only wish it were these types of crimes that the RCIPS had to focus their energies on.
The reverse onus of proof in drug-possession cases is incompatible with the rule of law and therefore cannot be recognized by any court anywhere. In other words, it is UNIVERSALLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Besides, the economics of the drug trade imply that criminal sanctions are self-defeating unless concentrated on RETAIL SALES. See http://is.gd/oenwod for details.
Universally unconstitutional? Is there a Universe Constitution that I'm not aware of? For something to be unconstitutional it has to be… against… a… constitution… of a country… Same thing with rule of law… it's only against the law if there is a law that says it's against that law…
Sometimes I feel like I'm in crazy land reading these posts.
WOW, what a great detection……. with such good results for the resources used. !!!!!!
Arrest them for the offensive weapon.
War on drugs is a lost cost.
Seriously?!? That is a lot of manpower ($$$) for a couple of kids who were probably too stoned to spot the massive RCIPS presence. Any serious (or minor) criminality dissapeared the minute the police made their presence known. Great PR stunt – but really doesn't put a scare in anyone.
They can see (and hear) you coming from from miles away. Wanna nab some ganga smokers?
Show up in a small force (undercover) and just walk around. This will have the sought after effect you really want. Bust a couple dozen of these guys and the rest will get the idea pretty quick. Hey…and you will save tens of thousand$ that you can use to catch some armed robbers in GT.
Oh, silly me… who is going to play an all those waverunners, police boats and helicopters on the weekend?
Well thankGod! I feel so much safer now. So glad to have those two heinous criminals in custody. Money and resourses well spent. I hope they get the chair!
Regrettably, the gangsta mentality has virtually overtaken this island and it is almost too late to do anything about it. The rot has set in big time.
The RCIPS needs to focus DAILY on law-breaking at all levels, including teenage punks, gun wielding thugs, corrupt civil servants and elected miscreants. The criminals are easy to spot as they are out cruising the streets at all hours in their lowered Legends, brand new Explorers and official Expeditions.
Any other community of 55,000 residents that had CI$100,000,000 to spend each year on law enforcement and education would have no crime and be graduating vast numbers of college ready students.
It is truly pathetic how little we get in return for our tax dollar.
I totally agree with you R.G. Calfe the gangsta mentality is taking over but our law enforcement should keep the pressure up to crush it, Cayman don't need the LA style gangs or those seen in London a month ago.
You hit the nail right on the head when you say that education of our people (from the cradle to the grave is what is needed) is what is needed to combat crime and the gangsta mentality. Look at the world over any country where education is free and takes precedence is doing well even in difficult economic times.
One is left to wonder just what is happening and why the sudden explosion of lawlessness in this country. It seems as if we are only now scratching the surface of what happened in the UK in the 1960s. In my opinion this is part of the problem with mass immigration and status grants 7 years ago. Many of these young people age 11 at the time of the mass status grants are now 18 years old just wondering aloud.
Remember Richard Pryor in Superman 3? Richard fleeces some surplus $$$ from the company he works and a few days later shows up to work in a new Ferrari.
Now that kind of stuff doesn't happen in real life right? No one would be fool enough to draw attention to themselves by filling up a driveway with Ferraris right?
Follow the bling AG. Follow the bling.
All those resources deployed to catch 2 teen pot smokers ? That's the RCIPS using their extensive network of informants, to capture the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
Now if only they used those resources to tackle the real criminals (armed robbers, corrupt politicians and greedy businessmen), what a wonderful place Cayman would return to.
Yea!
Marine vessels, not one but two, a helicopter, and 2 wave runners and what next, to intercept two teen agers smoking pot. Get real, it is a waste of gas, fuel airspace, sea space, and time. The police is doing these little petty operations to please someone else, surely not Caymanians. Further more if they were called to a low class area, they would not have performed such a big operation. Juat to show off to they know who. Want something to do fly into all of these robberies, and missing persons instead of chasing arter petty crimes that cost the government more than it will cost the teens in court.