That didn’t take long . . .

PC Nestor Campos of the North Ambergris Cay police substation. (Photo courtesy of San Pedro Sun)

The placement of a full-time police officer in the newly opened North Ambergris Caye substation is already paying dividends.

According to Rob Eykelbeysh, president of the North AC Neighborhood Watch program, the officer stationed here since the grand opening May 2 already has a drug bust under his belt.

PC Nestor Campos confirmed the bust today.  PC Campos was patrolling up near the Rojo Lounge on Saturday, May 6, when he spotted a young Hispanic male who was told to stop. When the man started to bolt, PC Campos jumped off his motorcycle and grabbed him by the shirt.

The man was found with two bags of marijuana, totalling 126 grams (4.4 ounces). According to Campos, the man said he was selling to workers at various construction sites up north. Campos is watching out for a second man, possibly Creole, wearing a white muscle shirt, sometimes seen in the area of Paco Tiki lounge. That man ran down the road toward Paco Tiki’s the other day when approached and hasn’t been seen since.

Otherwise, the substation has been relatively quiet, says PC Campos. He mixes his time between motorcycle patrols and occupying the substation, where he is a popular subject for tourists’ photos and target for questions about directions to Secret Beach, among other north island attractions.

PC Campos noted that in the last few days the Traffic Division has been active on the north island, issuing 25 tickets in the last week for failure to possess insurance, registration or a driver’s license. In the future, PC Campos he will get involved in traffic stops where the consequence rises from a $50 ticket to arrest with penalties up to $1,000 and possible suspension of a license.

For now, he’s leaving that kind of enforcement to Traffic.

Campos is on duty from 7a.m. to 7 p.m. His phone number is 650-1615 and he can be reached through police headquarters at 667-4220 or 226-2022.