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  • 7 weeks ago
Drones, Lighters, Cigarettes, Cash, Marijuana. These are just some of the illegal items seized from prison cells during an early-morning operation on Monday, at the Maximum-Security Prison.

The revelation comes directly from Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander.

Tv6's Nicole M Romany has the story.
Transcript
00:00Cell phones and chargers were among the illegal contraband discovered during the search on Monday.
00:07Minister Alexander explains how perpetrators are breaching the prison walls to smuggle those items inside.
00:14Using the drones with large or long rope type equipment, strings and all of that, sometimes over 300 feet long,
00:25to come up and drop these things in particular places.
00:31My concern was this.
00:35Cigarette seems to be the order of the day at the nation's prison.
00:40To ease up all of this, Mr. Hopkins, all it takes is to legalize the cigarette in prison.
00:44And I said to him, so then what will they battle for?
00:48The minister tells the TV6 Morning Edition that one pack of cigarettes sells for $800
00:54within the prison, and there are those benefiting from it.
00:58He says he is willing to suggest legalizing cigarettes in prison as a way to address the problem.
01:04The minister also acknowledges the many issues plaguing the prison service.
01:10The prison's officers' association has long complained about the problems with lighting,
01:15water, uniforms, proper locking mechanisms for gates and even vehicles.
01:21Today, the minister says, budget after budget in the past, but nothing was done.
01:27But his government is determined to end this burdensome situation
01:31and put the prison service back on track.
01:34Don't give me, um, till November the 1st, and you will not have those conversations with them anymore.
01:42Don't say that I'm saying this just because.
01:44Ask them.
01:45Say, listen, what has been done to your institution for the last nine years?
01:53Whenever you see them again, ask them.
01:55So we are here trying to fix everything.
01:58Alexander, the fix-it man.
02:00Minister Alexander also spoke about young officer Russell Badesi,
02:05who recently submitted his resignation under heartbreaking circumstances.
02:10Badesi said that despite reporting his mother missing,
02:14his colleagues in the TDPS did not launch a search.
02:18Tragically, her lifeless body was discovered in a track the very next day.
02:23On social media, Badesi expressed his anguish, saying it felt impossible to remain in an organization
02:30that appeared not to care for his mother's well-being.
02:34I could assure you that it has not been left there or swept under no carpet or hidden or anything like that.
02:40So the officer, we understand, at this time I would ask that members of the police reach out to him
02:46in terms of the social units to see if they could have some kind of dialogue with him
02:52and let's see how we could get this thing back up and running.
02:55I saw that he turned in his badge and if I got a chance to talk to him, I'll tell him, I'll say, listen,
03:01come and see me, let us talk and let's bring this to a reasonable place.
03:07The minister emphasizes that the police service has moved beyond outdated practices.
03:12He says officers will not be arbitrarily kicked out.
03:16If an officer has a concern or an issue, the service will address it directly and responsibly.
03:23Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
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