Mayor Lauded for Keeping Promise.
SENATOR Fortuna Belrose has praised the Mayor of Castries Peterson Francis for showing that he fully intends to take firm action on the growing matter of crime in the city.
On Monday, an induction ceremony was held at the Office of Mayor Peterson Francis for 23 new members of the city constabulary..
Belrose, the Minister for Local Government and Culture said over the years, society as a whole had allowed the issues deemed small and irrelevant to build up and become a monster that was seemingly unstoppable.
She was hopeful that the new batch of city constables would take on the task diligently and work towards restoring the peace of mind of locals and visitors alike.
Belrose said: “Over the years, we have allowed simple problems to fester. And some simple things like unruly people on the streets, drinking around and creating problems, the officers need to know how to resolve those.”
“It is our collective effort and engagement that will make the difference in the community”, the Minister added.
Among the list of issues Belrose said were in serious need of attention were poor street lighting, which she said officers need to look out for and play their part in ensuring that the problem is reported, truancy amongst school children; and her biggest peeve…urinating along the streets and sidewalks.
Belrose said: “The fact that people can just relieve themselves anywhere, something is not right about that. St. Lucia is perhaps the only place in the Eastern Caribbean where this happens. So we have to find a way to address that.”
The Minister said it was about time that more action is taken over dialogue, and the Mayor’s actions of hiring more constables was a good indication that he was not all talk when he promised that he would take immediate steps to reduce the crime problem in the capital.
She said: “Our vision as a government is to have a safe and secure St. Lucia, where we see our citizens going about their lives without having to worry about anything…no fear! That’s what we really want, peace of mind, because we’re living in this country and people across the world know it as paradise, so we really want it to reflect that for everybody else”
Belrose said it was the simple things that were important and were needed to make a difference in the city.
