COMBATING criminality during the Christmas season has become a major objective of the Castries Constituency Council which has a focus on the city of Castries.
And although the Royal St. Lucia Police Force has yet to reveal its strategies to combat crime islandwide during the season, THE VOICE has been reliably informed that just like previous years the Force has a strategy in place for this time of the year.
But it’s the Council through Mayor Peterson Francis which has been declaring its hand on the issue of crime as the Christmas season rolls on.
Francis has stated bluntly that the City of Castries is a hub for criminal elements, which will be destroyed under his stewardship.
“The City of Castries has become a hub for criminal elements and activities and this will be put to a halt,” he said at Monday night’s Festival of Lights ceremony on the Derek Walcott Square.
One part of his plan for tackling crime in the city is to increase the city’s constabulary to a complement of 50. The constabulary has at present 12 officers with another 18 expected to join at the end of this month.
The city constabulary, Francis said will be working in partnership with the police force to deal with crime within the borders of the City of Castries.
Less than 24 hours after vowing to erase crime in the city by ridding it of its criminal elements two tourists in separate incidents were robbed within the vicinity of the Mayor’ office.
The male tourist had his chain torn from his neck while a female tourist found herself struggling with three attackers who relieved her of a camera worth about $20, a pair of sunglasses and an umbrella. The two had come off a cruise ship that was docked in Port Castries on Tuesday.
These and other criminal activities have marred the season to date. For instance on Monday 57 year old Hippolyte Glasgow of Morne d’Or, Anse la Raye, was shot during an alleged robbery at a supermarket in the community.
A post mortem conducted yesterday, revealed that Glasgow died as a result of hemorrhagic shock secondary to a gunshot injury to the chest. One individual is in police custody assisting with investigations in this matter.
And just last Saturday 76 year old Rose Anne Raymond of Marisule, Gros Islet, was discovered dead at her residence. Reports are that she was raped although police are yet to confirm this however, a post mortem revealed that she died as a result of asphyxia secondary to ligature strangulation”.
Investigations are ongoing in this matter.
Damn!!
Niggers, that rob tourists are causing harm, not to just the victims, but all St. Lucian’s are made victims in one way or another. We are a nation dependent on tourism, and news of robberies spreads fast causing a decline in arrivals and lost revenues.”Publicly lash the crooks!”
Face it, the city has become a big dump. Ugly little wooden structures everywhere. People starting trays wherever they want. Sidewalks that are screwed up. People throwing trash everywhere even though there are receptacles for collecting trash. Don’t forget your empty plastic bottles in every drain. Stagnant water in many drains.
The place used to be super clean just a few years ago. It seems back then that the people cared. The Gardens was well kept and no one would think of changing and dumping car oil inside it. It used to be beautiful going to town. The council needs to enforce the laws like they did back in the day. St. Lucia’s problem comes from lack of discipline and failure to enforce the existing laws. Lastly, the failure to vigorously attack the gun situation. After 10 years, with a gun problem, the politicians are still talking the same old crap. Ayay! Let’s get drones. Bodoos! Let’s get cameras. Gasson, let’s do anti-gang ting. No fortitude. The most effective method is stunted by silly debates. Send the gun criminals away for long periods…it’s working elsewhere.