ACP Trevor Bailey: Student Rolls and Lights Marijuana Cigarette in Class 

By Val Matthias. Updated 9:26 a.m., Friday, February 20, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Trevor Bailey has raised alarm over rising indiscipline and gang influence in schools across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, recounting a shocking incident where a student openly rolled and lit a marijuana cigarette during class while the teacher was delivering a lesson.

Speaking on radio, Bailey said the report came directly from a headteacher and underscored how far behaviour in schools has deteriorated. “A young man in the class took out his weed, rolled a marijuana cigarette in the class, took a lighter, and lit it whilst the teacher is in the front of the class teaching. How did we reach there? Who said that kind of behaviour is normal and accepted? It is not,” Bailey said. 

The Assistant Commissioner did not say what the results of the students’ actions were but linked the incident to a wider pattern of gang activity among students, noting the presence of the “Six” and “Seven” gangs in secondary schools.

During a recent visit, he asked students who identified with these groups to raise their hands, and the overwhelming response shocked both him and the teachers present. 

ACP Bailey warned that if left unchecked, such behaviour could shape the next generation of gangsters. He urged parents to take greater responsibility by monitoring their children’s associations, online activities, and whereabouts.

“If you are absent in their life, then somebody else is going to hold that opportunity, and they may be giving your child the wrong advice,” he cautioned. 

He stressed that the issue is not solely for law enforcement but a national crisis requiring schools, churches, and community groups to act together. The government, he added, is preparing to appoint an Assistant Commissioner dedicated to school security, with staff focused exclusively on tackling violence and gang influence in educational institutions. 

ACP Bailey concluded by reminding students that gang involvement and criminal behaviour carry lasting consequences. “You rack up criminal convictions, you develop a reputation in the community, and no company will want to associate themselves with you. There are consequences to your behaviour at this stage in life,” he said. 

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