Officer has discretion with a first-time offender

When a young person is caught breaking the law, it is the police who are on the front lines and write the first report.

Depending on the circumstances, that report can lead to a youth court appearance and/or an evaluation done by a youth agency, be it Batshaw for the English community or a Centre Jeunesse for the French community.

Station 5, which serves Dorval and Pointe-Claire, has three officers patrolling neighbourhood parks on bikes during the summer.

Illegal activity has been known to spike during the hot months.

“If your friend is smoking a joint and you’re not, it doesn’t matter, you are automatically an accomplice,” Montreal police Const. Liliana Bellucci from Station 5 said. “Right off the bat, you must identify yourself.”

Names are checked on the police computer for any prior arrests, connections to gang activity or probationary restrictions. The officers take note if someone is wearing gang colours.

Being respectful to the police officer can go a long way.

“If it is a first time offence, it is at the officer’s discretion, once all the elements have been considered, whether the child is let off with only a warning,” she said.

Being let off with a warning does not mean the slate is wiped clean. All warnings are entered into the system so that the child’s name is on the record in case another incident occurs down the road.

“If the teen reoffends, his name will be in the system for the other officers to see,” Bellucci said.

If the teen reoffends, that first warning would also be included in the police report the youth agency or court receives and will give the youth workers at the West Island YMCA’s Impact program a more thorough history to consider when planning the best way to help the young offender move forward and turn his life around.