Jailed for littering

[dredman1]

So the guy said he was treated unfairly. Do you agree?

Personally I think more examples like this should be made. I hate to see people littering, especially throwing stuff out their car.

Kudos to the PC and the magistrate.

https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08 ... r-dog-cell

I suffer like a dog in cell

Sascha Wilson
Published:
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Litterbug: Cops promised to give me station bail...

San Fernando resident Anthony Gaskin, who spent a night in a cell and was fined $250 for littering the road with a styrofoam cup, believes he was unfairly treated by the police.

However, PC Ramchairth, the officer who arrested and charged Gaskin, has caught the attention of environmental activist Marc de Verteuil, who has hailed him as hero.

Speaking with reporters yesterday at his home at Embacadere, San Fernando, Gaskin felt the police had spited him by not giving station bail for “such a minor offence.

“I suffer like a dog (in the police station cell) on Sunday,” said Gaskin as he recalled the incident.

Gaskin, who is unemployed, was arrested shortly after 9 am on Sunday at Mucurapo Street and taken to the San Fernando Police Station, where he remained until Monday morning when he was taken before a San Fernando magistrate charged with littering.

He pleaded guilty before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John and was fined $250.

The magistrate scolded Gaskin for his actions, saying if everyone acted like him the country would be a dirty place.

She ordered him to pay $70 forthwith and gave him seven days to pay the balance of the fine or else face jail time.

Shaking his head as he recalled his experience yesterday, Gaskin, who will celebrate his 54th birthday next Tuesday, said he went to the grocery to buy ingredients to cook lunch, which consisted of lentil peas, rice and liver, for his two daughters.

On his way back home, Gaskin said he stopped and bought a drink of puncheon.

“When I done I just throw the cup on the road and the police van stop and the officers just come and handcuff me,” he said.

At the time, Gaskin said he was not sure for what he was being arrested.

He said, however, he was told by the police that after they took his fingerprints he would be granted his own bail but that never happened.

“I had to lie down on the cold concrete (in the cell). It did not feel good at all. They had no right to keep me in there for so long for that petty offence.

That offence come like gambling and obscene language. What they did was wrong,” he added.

Gaskin said the pack of liver was put in the refrigerator in the station after he complained to the police it would spoil. Although he was offered meals at the station, Gaskin said he declined.

While he is aware that littering is against the law, Gaskin said he never thought he would be arrested for the offence.

But Gaskin, who admitted he had previous run-ins with the law, said he had put the incident behind him and offered this advice to other people: “Do not litter.”

He said he was released from the cell shortly after the case was called after the officer who charged him went to the station and retrieved the $70 he had on him when he was arrested and took it to him so he could pay the court.

Gaskin said he has been going through difficult financial issues and even received an eviction notice from the Housing Development Corporation. He appealed to members of the public to help him find a job so he could keep his home and improve his living conditions.

Kudos from environmentalist

However, environmentalist Marc de Verteuil, who publicly commended Ramchairth as a hero on his Facebook page, said in an email to this newspaper that while he could not comment on the police procedure, he would like to commend Ramchairth for taking a leadership stance in the war on litter.

“Trinidad is slowly becoming a labasse with people thinking it is perfectly okay to drop their trash where they stand.

“If all police acted like Constable Ramchairth, 99 per cent of littering would stop. Constable Ramchairth is my hero for the day.”

De Verteuil offered the officer, through his company WOW Expeditions, a free, private tour, for him, his wife and children “to say thank you on behalf of a litter-weary nation.”

He said Ramchairth was a fine example to all.

Also
https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08 ... litter-bug

[ruffneck_12]

oh ohhhhh poor wittle baby didn't know doing illegal things was against the law

[baigan]

Lol good...Littering is a huge problem here, esp at beaches and such. Disgusting.

But Idk bout jail tho but a fine ...sure...

Lol just yesterday I saw a police throw a box of kfc out his window and into a drain

[j.o.e]

A heavier fine backed by jail for non payment. Place too stink and some rich and educated people guilty of doing the same. Hit them in the pocket.

[Les Bain]

I could understand what that stink nastiness saying, seeing how littering is an unspoken national pastime, but the sight of people littering is just as disgusting as seeing our places covered in trash.

He lucky he didn't get a boyfriend on his night stay

[dredman1]

just yesterday I saw a police throw a box of kfc out his window and into a drain

[ismithx]

that was overreacting. I think that littering should be a ticketable offence, if it isn't already, not a arrestable offence

[j.o.e]

that was overreacting. I think that littering should be a ticketable offence, if it isn't already, not a arrestable offence

We need an overreaction to shift us onto a better level. Even if it's a fine it should be a high fine and/or jail.

[K74T]

It good

[dougla_boy]

that was overreacting. I think that littering should be a ticketable offence, if it isn't already, not a arrestable offence

We need an overreaction to shift us onto a better level. Even if it's a fine it should be a high fine and/or jail.

yeah, but to clog up the jail an dem more? let them mix up with criminals and end up worse? dat eh making sense inno....

[Caesar_T]

It only ticketable if litter warden give you it but for police they have to arrest and charge you for it

[j.o.e]

that was overreacting. I think that littering should be a ticketable offence, if it isn't already, not a arrestable offence

We need an overreaction to shift us onto a better level. Even if it's a fine it should be a high fine and/or jail.

yeah, but to clog up the jail an dem more? let them mix up with criminals and end up worse? dat eh making sense inno....

Is the justice system (court) have tings clog up. Fix that and jail dey Kant after they can't pay a $5000 fine. High fine and jail time for non payment. If you don't wanna mix with criminals don't litter. This generation lost maybe we can train the younger ones by making some examples.

[cherrypopper]

A fine and a complimentary cuttass should suffice for a first offense

Second offense,fine,complimentary cuttass and death penalty.

[Mr. Tony Stark]

I think, It good for him, he should of not just got a little time in a cell and a fine, he should of received some Strokes as well, if we had done that, then that would of been a good deterrent

[pugboy]

So what happens carnival time

[baigan]

A fine and a complimentary cuttass should suffice for a first offense

Second offense,fine,complimentary cuttass and death penalty.

[GixxerMan]

I stopped by the pond on the way to ptown a day... is only Tyres ..old computers screens, KFC boxes and plastic bottles like wow!... and it have a big no littering sign there...
but what boils my blood, is those tyre men who does dump their old tires and then light them up...

[Strugglerzinc]

He ent say how much trouble he probably give them officers so they jail he arse.

[Miktay]

Jail all litterers.

Let bandits & drug men get away scotch free.

[Slartibartfast]

This is a good start.

Jail all litterers.

Let bandits & drug men get away scotch free.

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Yes it will be perfect if all criminals were held accountable for their actions. However, this does not mean that the petty criminals should go free because bigger criminals are not being caught. Police have to start somewhere. Anytime they do their job is a good thing.

Also, a systematic cracking down on petty crime positively affects overall crime as well. Read up on the broken window theory if you are interested in learning how.

[redmanjp]

i agree with ah fine but jail? both wardens & police should give a ticket

[DVSTT]

It only ticketable if litter warden give you it but for police they have to arrest and charge you for it

Only time I ever saw a litter warden was that time they were protesting for $

[Average]

WOW.

I really have to laugh at some of you in here, the way you coming down on this man. I'm sure there are little minor laws that you break, I can't wait till they enforce them on some of you.
He could have gotten a ticket. Jail time for littering is failure, then again you don't see police chasing down any Benz or Porsche when they throw stuff out their windows do you.

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

People who litter needs to be sent to do 20 years hard labor planting Garden and feeding the population for free. His punishment was very slight if you ask me.

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

WOW.

I really have to laugh at some of you in here, the way you coming down on this man. I'm sure there are little minor laws that you break, I can't wait till they enforce them on some of you.
He could have gotten a ticket. Jail time for littering is failure, then again you don't see police chasing down any Benz or Porsche when they throw stuff out their windows do you.

Yes a lot of people break minor laws that don't affect others or the environment, but littering is a nasty 3rd world mentality people who litter are like rats who eat and sheit in their own nest. Littering is not just some minor thing, there should be 20 year jail time and hard labor planting garden for littering. As a matter of fact Soviet Russia used to put you in a Gulag for littering the jail time he got is NOTHING.

[hustla_ambition101]

Same jackasses that defending littering is the same one who come and blame politicians for flooding.

Some of you also need to learn how the law operates in T&T when treating with a detained person whose CR has to be traced

[De Dragon]

WOW.

I really have to laugh at some of you in here, the way you coming down on this man. I'm sure there are little minor laws that you break, I can't wait till they enforce them on some of you.
He could have gotten a ticket. Jail time for littering is failure, then again you don't see police chasing down any Benz or Porsche when they throw stuff out their windows do you.

You're saying that we can choose to follow which "minor" laws we want ?

[De Dragon]

WOW.

I really have to laugh at some of you in here, the way you coming down on this man. I'm sure there are little minor laws that you break, I can't wait till they enforce them on some of you.
He could have gotten a ticket. Jail time for littering is failure, then again you don't see police chasing down any Benz or Porsche when they throw stuff out their windows do you.

ALL lawlessness should be treated with whatever is prescribed by the law, besides, what type of puzzy takes a shot of Puncheon with a cup?

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

Same jackasses that defending littering is the same one who come and blame politicians for flooding.

Some of you also need to learn how the law operates in T&T when treating with a detained person whose CR has to be traced

And chances are those who defend littering at the same ones who also litter. You just look at the state of this country the road sides and drains and you see just how nasty Trinis are most of them can't be bothered to use a trash bin but if they go to USA they make sure and put their trash in a bin.

[VII]

Start prosecuting petty crimes and you would have less serious crimes,a murderer most likely is a litterer,and he most likely littered before he murdered,it's all about psyche and a psyche change is required and this a good place to start.

Did I mention I hate people who litter with a passion!! the type of people who look down at you for keeping the trash in your car rather than throwing it out on the side of the road,man come in my vehicle and start throwing out empty water bottles etc from a side,man I was in shock,I asked him to kindly put them back,lol idiots.