SAINT Lucian authorities should understandably find themselves scratching their heads following the island’s inclusion on a list of Caribbean territories for which the Canadian government recently issued travel advisories.
According to the advisory which took effect on August 1, Canadians travelling to Saint Lucia are being advised to exercise a high degree of caution due to limited medical resources, generally poor road conditions, unreliable public transportation and moderate crime rates.
Canada’s concerns for its citizens as it relates to safety are not unlike the Saint Lucian public’s sentiments. In fact, for years on end, Saint Lucians have been calling on the Royal Saint Lucian Police Force to beef up security in the city, with little or no success in that endeavour to date.
However, the police force has repeatedly responded by saying that it is already stretched thin as far as its human resources are concerned. Moreover, the police force has gone on record many times to explain that the force loses more police officers than it actually recruits each year.
With “limited resources” being the perennial mantra from central government, the police force has had to do with whatever resources – human and otherwise – at its disposal which, on many occasions, turn out to be inadequate. Even the new Mayor of Castries, Peterson Francis, decried the situation at his recent swearing-in ceremony.
While criminality has virtually become ubiquitous over the years, the argument is that even when police officers are dispatched to certain areas, violence and other crimes occur nonetheless.
Take, for example, the case of Jamaica, also on the list of nearly twenty nations cited in the Canadian advisory, where “violent crime, including armed robbery and murder, is a problem in large cities, particularly in Kingston, Spanish Town, and Montego Bay. Despite the presence of police in major urban areas, drug- and gang-related violence, including shootings, continue to be a significant problem.”
Clearly, Jamaica’s situation poses the question: Is public safety really enhanced by the presence of more police officers on the beat? Another question: Are the circumstances in Saint Lucia different from those in Jamaica?
One of the key pillars of any country is to safeguard the citizenry by having a strong enough security force, including the police. While Canada might have its concerns about Canadians visiting our shores, local authorities need to be mindful that Saint Lucians’ concerns must also be taken seriously.
We cannot afford to have a seasonal approach to security, whereby a few more police officers are patrolling the city only when cruise ships berth in our harbour. Security is an everyday issue and must be treated as a matter of importance and not one of expedience. “Moderate crime rates” can change to something worse in a flash.
While the latest advisory from the Canadian government is unfortunate, local authorities should nevertheless do more than what is being done now so that Saint Lucians and visitors alike get to enjoy the city at its best.
As for the issues of limited medical resources, poor road conditions and unreliable public transportation, Saint Lucia certainly needs to do some major improvement and restructuring, especially if the island continues to market itself as a touristic destination and one that does the best for its citizens.
For a change, let’s begin to raise the standard.