Enforcement: Highway Stings Are Making Construction Zones Safer For Workers, Says The Head Of Traffic Division SAINT JOHN - The city's police department has devoted more officers to its traffic division and more tickets are being handed out, the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners heard Tuesday night. The number of tickets for violations rose from 2,534 in 2007 to 3,854 in 2008 and will likely top that again in 2009, said Sgt. Jeff LaFrance, who heads the traffic unit. [continues 380 words]
SAINT JOHN - The complexity and costs of police investigations have risen dramatically over the past 30 years, Deputy Chief Darrell Scribner of the Saint John Police Force told the police commission Tuesday night. The costs are driven by changes brought about by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as court-directed disclosure rules that now require police to copy every piece of evidence and make it available to defence lawyers, Scribner said. "Every little piece that we touch needs to be replicated and turned over to the defence," he said. "We spend hours and hours and hours burning out photocopiers in order to do this." [continues 407 words]
SAINT JOHN - A new anonymous email tip line set up by the Saint John Police Force is showing promising results. The address, policetips@saintjohn.ca, appeals to younger members of the public who are more inclined to email, text message or twitter, than they are to pick up the phone and call someone, Sgt. Jim Fleming told the city's police commission this week. "These kids are, in a good sense, wired, attached to the Internet," he said. "Just for an example, a few weeks ago, we received an email, and at the first it almost looked like a hoax." [continues 242 words]
Court Lawyer For Marrtown Man Contends Police Did Not Obtain Search Warrant Properly SUSSEX - The lawyer for a man charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana for the purposes of trafficking is hoping to have the case thrown out after arguing the search warrant to enter his home was obtained improperly. In May 2008 officers from the Hampton and Sussex RCMP went to the home of Arden William Gregg in Marrtown with a warrant signed by a Saint John judge. Following the search, charges for possession were laid against Gregg, as well as charges of unsafe storage of firearms, possession of 49 weapons without proper licences and possession of untaxed tobacco. [continues 352 words]
Cannabis Cafe Co-Owner Charged With Possession For The Purpose Of Trafficking A 25-year-old who has suffered from severe pain since he was 12 because of Crohn's disease and arthritis testified in defence of the Cannabis Cafe's compassion club Wednesday. Patrick Hardy began using marijuana as medicine when he was about 19 after suffering side effects from prescription drugs from the opiate class. Lynn Wood, who, with her husband Jim, runs the Cannabis Cafe in Saint John, is facing jail on two charges of possession of marijuana for the purposes of trafficking after police raids in April and June of 2004. [continues 494 words]
Two men arrested Friday at Saint John's Cannabis Cafe and charged with simple possession of marijuana were released to appear in court on June 25 to enter pleas. A proposed change to Canada's drug laws, expected to be introduced in Parliament later this week, may stop similar charges in the future but it is not a step in the right direction, said Lynn Wood, who owns the cafe with her husband Jim. "It will give the police more power to go after growers and dealers," she said Monday. [continues 424 words]
