Six Lawrence High School students were arrested and charged with marijuana possession today (Wednesday, Jan. 4), Lt. Charles Edgar, spokesman for the Lawrence Township Police Department, confirmed.

The students are all juveniles between the ages of 15 and 17; five are males and one is female, he said.

The arrests took place about 11 a.m. at the corner of Berwyn Place and Review Avenue, just off school property at the rear of Lawrence High School.

“We had officers in that area investigating complaints from neighborhood residents about students continually walking through private property, cutting through people’s yards as a shortcut to get to school,” Edgar said.

Officers observed the six juveniles standing near the corner. “They appeared to be of school age and it was during school hours,” so officers stopped to talk to them, Edgar said.

Edgar said one of the boys turned and ran off as soon as he saw police.

Police detained the remaining five for questioning and discovered a small quantity of marijuana tucked inside a cigarette box sitting on the ground next to the students, he said.

Because none of the students would admit ownership of the marijuana, all of the students – including the boy who ran off but was later identified by police – were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams, Edgar said.

He said two of the boys were also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia for having rolling papers on them.