Officer Barnes and I left the Middle School quietly. The boy, Peter, had his ticket for drug possession and the summons to appear before the juvenile court to face the drug possession charges. Much of it was a bit of a "charity" case of sorts. The kid was obviously under eighteen. In theory we did have the authority to arrest him for possessing an illegal substance, but from what the Kalispell officer had said to us, the police departments and the schools maintained a different system to try and keep these things to a minimum. If the amount was low and the kid didn't repeat the offense, this "bust" wouldn't be on his permanent record. That would be clean once he turned eighteen, and that appeared to be the system being used.
Though, it didn't entirely help the boy out all that much. I could hear the secretary speaking to him sternly, and still sounding like a disappointed mother rather then a school secretary. As Officer Barnes and I reached the main doors to the Middle School, I thought I heard a "but Mom..." almost whine from the office. I wasn't sure, however, and let it go. It wasn't really my business beyond what Officer Barnes and I had already done.
"Well," Officer Barnes spoke as we reached our car, "that went fairly well."
"Probably not from that kid's point of view, but yeah," I nodded, "Only one person sneaking drugs in between two schools. That's a lot better then a lot of places. My dad's had to deal with some of these sorts of things in Peoria, and he's heard stories from other officers way back when he was in training and just starting out from officers that had served in Chicago. According to the stories, they had to deal with such incidents at ratio of about two violations per twenty students in both the High School and Middle School... though that's averaging good schools and those stuck in the "bad" parts of the city together."
Officer Barnes nodded, "The difference between there and here, I suppose. They got more people there. Therefore, the odds of running into those things is greater."
"I suppose," I sighed as I got into the back seat of the patrol car, "again... not that it does that boy any good as... he does prove that being in a rural area doesn't make one morally better then someone in a city."
Officer Barnes nodded from the front seat and drove on. We then quietly made our way back to the High School where we would need to fill out the appropriate paperwork to file with both Officer Howard and for the officials of the juvenile court. That task ended up taking up the rest of the day. The day went quietly as Officer Barnes filled out the paperwork to finish up things related to the drug searches.
"I suppose this is the part where you enjoy having such big fingers?" Officer Barnes quipped as he focused on his paperwork.
I managed a slight shrug. My paw-like hands could do the things that human hands, but the increase in their size when I went from human to tiger-person made things somewhat difficult. It was a problem nearly every animal person went through. For some it was even harder. Anyone who became a hoofed animal would have it the hardest. People that chose animal species that had paws faired a bit better, and this commonly varied with each species. Molly and I as tigers had a fair amount of trouble, mostly because of our size. Marcella didn't seem to do too bad, but I had figured that she was probably the same size as when she was a human male, so it wasn't like she was too big for the size of the things people used. The Gen-U-Tech receptionist, Michelle, that Molly and I had met in Peoria did extremely well... but then rodents were known for being very dexterous among mundane animals. I also figured that people had become some other species of primate also didn't suffer the loss of dexterity since they were of the same scientific family group that humans belonged to.
"I suppose," I gave a shrug, "though it's not like I'm incapable of doing it. It may simply take longer, but I can manage it."
"The quicker this is done the better," Officer Barnes then sighed.
He then went to finishing the paperwork.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"So there was one kid who had drugs?" Officer Howard finished as Officer Barnes and I presented him with the paperwork.
"Yes, sir," Officer Barnes answered respectfully.
Once we had finished filling out the paperwork, we obviously took the next step and took them to the respective places the reports and such needed to go. We started with the station and Officer Howard, as he would likely require a report on the action.
"It was an eighth grader who had it," I added, "not too much though..."
"Any illegal drug is too much," Officer Howard responded with a sigh, "though, hopefully this'll set the kid on the path to the "straight and narrow" as it were."
Officer Barnes and I both nodded in response to that.
"Have you let the juvenile court know of this yet?" Officer Howard asked, "they will be upset if a court date arrives and they don't know about it."
"We intended to go there once we'd finished dropping off the reports with you," Officer Barnes said quietly.
Officer Howard glanced the clock in his office and then nodded.
"Alright then," Officer Howard nodded, "you two had best get going. He'll be closing up pretty soon as well."
We again nodded and made our way out. We were then back in the DARE car and driving to the office that the man who ran the juvenile court system in Columbia Falls was. The man did it as a community service and normally operated a small law office downtown. Officer Barnes drove the DARE to that office and we made our way in.
"Can I help you with something, officers?" his secretary asked.
"We need to speak with Brian Bear," Officer Barnes told her, "related to a case he'll need hear for the juvenile court."
"Oh... hold on," she replied and went to his office door and reported we were there. A few moments later she emerged, "He can see you. Go on in."
We nodded and made our way into the man's office.
"You two seem to cut it rather close," Brian Bear commented with a slight chuckle.
"Cutting it close was never our intention," Officer Barnes answered, "it's just the way things turned out."
"I'm sure," Brian Bear replied, "now, you tell me you've got a case for the juvenile court?"
It was his secretary who told him that, but Officer Barnes and I nodded. We knew what he meant.
"Yes," I spoke, "we just finished a round of mandatory drug searches through the schools."
Officer Barnes then presented Brian Bear with the paperwork. The bag of Marijuana was back at the station and would likely remain there until it could be safely destroyed.
"We ended up catching an eighth grader with a small bag of Marijuana," I finished, "not enough to formally arrest him under the system, so we've come to you."
Brian Bear nodded and looked over the paperwork and then nodded.
"Okay then," he said calmly, "I'll see you both there. Don't be late."
Officer Barnes and I then made our way out. By that time, though, our shifts were essentially over. As we made it out, we moved to head in our own directions.
"You want a ride, George?" Officer Barnes asked, using the informal tone since we were technically off duty, "we're actually a past the end of the DARE shift."
Thinking back at the time we saw while in Brian Bear's office I sighed and nodded. One ride wouldn't hurt and I'd likely meet up with Molly who I figured was already at our cabin by now, or close enough to it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The night went quietly. The bear had yet to get caught in any of the traps, so Dave, Molly, and I were still waiting to see if it would return or if had gone to hibernate. Molly's nervousness about having the bear in the area was pushing on her, and she wanted more done. I didn't entirely know if that was territorial behavior or a desire to insure that our cubs would be safe when we had them. She had voiced the idea to begin tracking the bear's scent. If only to see if it had gone to hibernate. If it had, the idea was to move it in its sleep. I didn't want the bear there any more then Molly did, but I knew we couldn't take that operation into our own hands unless the bear not only returned but did something that was a true threat to life and limb. She didn't like it, but she accepted it.
The next morning I made my way into the high school. It was the day that Peter's hearing and Officer Barnes and I would be scheduled to head out for that at one in the afternoon. The case was open and shut, and was largely to give Peter the most fitting punishment. It would avoid having to jail Peter and would allow him to get back on the right track with as little trouble as possible. Officer Barnes had arrived just before me and was parking the DARE car as I approached the door.
"Good morning," I said to him in greeting.
"Good morning," Officer Barnes answered calmly, "how'd your night go?"
"Good," I answered, "nothing much went on... so I don't really have much more to say."
"What about that bear?" Officer Barnes asked as we went in, "did it come in?"
"The trap was still empty when Molly and I left this morning," I told him, "though I don't know if the ones at the Choir vineyard caught it."
"Maybe it went to hibernate," Officer Barnes shrugged.
"Yeah... though if it did, it'll only be a reprieve until spring," I told him.
To that Officer Barnes only shrugged. We went through a quiet morning with no incidents. The high schoolers were quiet as they went in. I did see some sight that gave me some hope for Amy and Marcella's future as their story played out. Marcella still took a protective stance around Amy, but a few people were asking polite questions. It wasn't my place to follow the conversation, and once they were done, I moved on to the rest of my duties for the day.
And those duties related to Peter's hearing. By one PM Officer Barnes and I left the High School and drove to the Middle School where the secretary stood outside the front doors with Peter with her. She slowly approached as Officer Barnes parked the car.
"Can we trust him to be calm and not touch anything in front seat?" Officer Barnes asked she got there.
"He will behave himself," the secretary answered, "though I wonder why you need to ask."
"If we can't trust him to be calm and keep his hands to himself, you'd need to arrange for some other transportation for him, as Officer Wayne is too big to fit in the car as it was manufactured," Officer Barnes explained.
"Oh... well, Peter will behave himself," the secretary assured my partner and moved Peter to the other door.
Peter was then set in the front seat and bulked himself in. He wasn't hurt in anyway, but something told me that the lectures about drugs being bad from his parents.
"We'll bring him back when the hearing is over," Officer Barnes then said to the secretary who nodded.
The drive to the building used for the "juvenile" court was quiet one. Peter said nothing and almost seemed too ashamed to say anything. As we arrived, Officer Barnes quickly got out to allow me to get out. As I stretched my back out from being in the back of the car, Peter slowly got out. Officer Barnes then lead the boy in while I moved around behind him. It was way to make sure no one bolted, though Peter's demeanor didn't look like that someone would try to flee.
Inside,we found Brian Bear waiting patiently for the game. While Officer Barnes and I took our positions where the "prosecutor" stood, Brian Bear motioned for Peter to move to the other position.
"Okay then, let us begin," Brian Bear spoke, "Officer Barnes, Officer Wayne, you may state the present case."
"Yes," Officer Barnes nodded, "in accordance with the mandatory drug searches we discovered a small bag of Marijuana... only a few ounces along with the paper to roll them in... in locker thirty two of the Columbia Falls Middle School. This locker belongs to the student Peter Crabtree."
Brian Bear then nodded and turned to Peter, who was standing there silent.
"Is this true son?" Brian Bear asked.
"Yes, sir," Peter answered slowly.
"Now, tell me, why did you have it?" Brian Bear asked him.
"I don't know," Peter said weakly, "because I was stupid, I guess."
"I see," Brian Bear sighed and turned to Officer Barnes and I.
"And aside from scheduling this hearing, what action have you taken, officers?" Brian Bear asked.
"We issued the standard fine for possession of a controlled substance, based on the amount that we found," I answered.
Brian Bear then nodded.
"Now, son, you do understand that Marijuana is illegal?" Brian Bear asked.
"Yes, sir," Peter answered, "I don't intend to do it again."
"Good," Brian Bear replied, "In accordance with the statues, you are to go under a period of probation. Either the DARE officers here or another member of the Columbia Falls Police Department will be assigned to monitor your actions outside of school. You are also to do exactly one hundred hours community service lasting for the rest of the present school year."
Brian Bear then presented a series of formalized forms and handed them to me. I then in turn handed them to Peter.
"The service can be anything from cleaning, volunteering, snow removal when it falls, etcetera, etcetera," Brian Bear spoke, "You must however have the person or organization that you are performing this service fore write out what it is and how long it took you to accomplish the task. When that is done, you are to deliver it to the DARE officers here."
"Yes, sir," Peter answered.
"Now remember, son, these tasks can't be for those you would already do these things for," Brian Bear told him, "tasks for family members and close friends of the family do not count, and you can not be paid for this work. Should anyone reimburse you, it doesn't count toward your time of community service."
"Yes, sir," Peter answered.
"And that closes the case," Brian Bear finished, "I wish you the best of luck son."