Tonight the Eastern Division police formation is seriously and fundamentally divided - and it's all because of one police officer that is facing criminal charges which could sent him straight to jail.
His name is Gino Peck, a special branch Corporal with over 18 years in the job. Since Saturday morning, he has been at the Queen Street Police station along with his wife; they are both being held pending charges for Kept Ammunition without a Gun License, Kept Prohibited Ammunition and Kept Firearm without a Gun License.
His arrest has caused major, major waves in the police department where the long serving Peck has many friends and sympathizers who don't want to see he and his wife remanded to prison.
But not the GSU, which raided his Curassow Street home on Saturday morning at 6:30 and found the ammunition and two empty magazines under his bed.
When the GSU got to his house at 6:30 am, Peck handed over his police issued GLOCK 9MM pistol with 13 live rounds. He is allowed to have that weapon, but police went on to search the house. First, they found 8 rounds of ammunition in the chest of drawers - including a.45 round which is prohibited.
And then under the bed they found two old knapsacks: one of them was stuffed with twenty - three 9 mm rounds, eighteen 12 gauge cartridges and two empty Glock magazines; the other bag contained six 9 mm round and four.38 rounds and three 12 gauge cartridges. So, the GSU arrested 39 year old Corporal Peck and his wife, 44 year old Loretta Peck, for unlicensed ammunition - the 22 twelve gauge cartridges and five rounds.38 ammo. And then he was charged for keeping Prohibited Ammunition for the single round of.45 ammunition and Kept Firearm without a Gun License for the two GLOCK Magazines that were under his bed.
Peck and his wife were taken to the police station and locked up for the weekend - with the expectation that - to the great displeasure of many - he would be criminally charged this morning, and - as is standard for firearm offences - he would be remanded. That's what would happen to any regular member of the public, but not Corporal Peck. Many of his police friends were really angry that he was arrested - so much so that it appears they simply refused to lodge the complaint in court today.
As we understand it, Peck's defence is that he retrieved those rounds of live ammunition during operations some time ago but simply forgot to hand them in. As a rule, though, every illegal item found in the course of police duties must be turned in either as exhibits or as found property.
And that's where it rests tonight in a very divided police department: the GSU insisting that he must be charged, and the rank and file police either deliberately foot dragging or pointedly refusing to take those charges to court. It's left to be seen who will win out, as the GSU is believed to have the backing of the Minister, while Peck apparently has the support of the rank and file.
Notably there is no intent to charge him for the GLOCK pistol and the various 9mm rounds - because those are permitted for his police work.
