A policeman was arrested alongside three other men in a case of praedial larceny after they were found with goats on Sunday. The four men were travelling in a grey Toyota Probox motorcar along Morgan’s Pass main road in Clarendon when security forces intercepted the vehicle around 3:50 a.m.
The officers who stopped the car noticed three goats inside and inspected the vehicle. Reports say that a prohibited firearm, a Glock 19 pistol containing 12 rounds of ammunition, was found. The search also led to the discovery of several items, such as a Samsung A3q smartphone, an Apple laptop, an Infinity cellphone, and a one-strap bag. All the items and the goats were seized while the men were taken into custody.
Officials identified one of the arrestees as a 22-year-old constable from the Specialised Operations Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The constable is a resident of the Rectory Land area in May Pen. The other suspects are also from the same community, and two of them are teenagers, as young as 17 years old.
The men are being held on suspicion of robbery and praedial larceny, but they have not yet been formally charged. Following the arrest, lawmen took the constable to his residence to conduct a search. While at the property, he allegedly attempted to escape by jumping through a window, but lawmen swiftly apprehended him.
Meanwhile, farmers in Morgan’s Pass have grown frustrated as thieves continue to target their livestock. The area’s lush green vegetation is good for raising cows and goats, but thieves have made it difficult for some farmers to benefit from their hard work.
Farmer Barrington spoke on yesterday’s arrest, saying suspects would face a different fate if residents had captured them. He shared with TVJ News that he has been a victim of praedial larceny after thieves stole his 5 goats and a cow. He said he struggled to find money to send his daughter to high school after his cow was stolen.
Another farmer, Ian Lee, shared a similar experience, explaining that thieves made off with his two cows one night. He was demotivated to continue until a friend gave him another cow, which he spent years raising until thieves took it. Lee said he is on his third cow, and he refuses to give up.
The residents are also shocked that a policeman could be caught committing such an offence. According to Lee, the officer’s punishment should be harsher for breaking a law he should have been enforcing. “He should have known better because he is the law…you know, you are a lawman, and you go in a certain situation, and you work to get money, and you go, thief man. No man, you’ll get a harder punishment,” he said.
