Last Full Week at CHRI
Time flies when you're having fun! Its hard to believe I only have one more full week left of my summer internship in Christiansted. While this past week was mainly spent in the office working on paperwork and other administrative tasks, I had a handful of new experiences. At the end of the week, while Ranger Clarke and I were closing up the parking lot for the evening, we encountered a vehicle with a strong odor of marijuana. After talking with the driver, Ranger Clarke asked if there were any drugs in the vehicle. The driver admitted to smoking a short time prior and disclosed that there was marijuana in the vehicle. Ranger Clarke seized the substance and proceeded to issue a written warning under 36 CFR 2.35 (B) (2) for possession of a controlled substance.
After issuing the driver a written warning, Ranger Clarke and I had to log the seized evidence. This was my first encounter processing evidence, and I learned a lot about the process. First, we brought the substance to the evidence room where all seized items are stored. Once in the evidence room, we proceeded to test the substance for THC. Ranger Clarke walked me through the process of using a field narcotics kit, which officers use to determine if the substance in question is in fact a controlled substance. There are many different test kits for a wide range of controlled substances. However, since we were confident that what we seized was marijuana, we utilized the marijuana test kit. After placing a small amount of the substance into the test kit, I broke one of the small glass vials inside which contains strong acid. The chemical reaction that occurs between the acid in the test kit and the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, changes the color of the solution. After a few minutes, the reaction is complete and a purple color appears if the substance tests positive for THC. In this case, the test was positive for THC as indicated by the dark purple color of the test kit.
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| Positive Field Narcotics Test Kit for Marijuana |
After testing the substance, Ranger Clarke and I weighed the evidence prior to filling out an evidence form. The form indicates the type, weight, and location where the substance was seized. After filling out all the necessary paperwork, we logged the evidence into an evidence storage locker. After a case is closed, stored evidence is often destroyed.
Last week, I also had the opportunity to work with members of the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC). The United States Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is a summer youth employment program that engages young people in meaningful work experiences on national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and fish hatcheries while developing an ethic of environmental stewardship and civic responsibility. This summer, there are 15 YCC students working at Christiansted National Historic Site. Students in the YCC program are a huge asset to the park, completing a variety of work to increase the visitor experience.
I was fortunate enough to work with the YCC students last week as they shadowed the visitor and resource protection division. While working with the students, I explained the importance of the tools at an officers disposal. This includes the many different types of patrol vehicles used in daily operations. The students helped clean and organize the patrol vehicles as well as the law enforcement patrol vessel. I really enjoyed the opportunity to work with the YCC students and am thankful for all of the help!
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| YCC Students Cleaning a Patrol Vehicle |
Until next time,
ProRanger Caruso
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