Saint Lucia’s acting Commissioner of Police (COP) Crusita Descartes- Pelius assumes leadership of the Royal St LuciaActing DCP Ronald Phillip Police Force [RSLPF] at a crucial stage, as the country grapples with a worrisome crime situation and other mitigating factors.
At an introductory press briefing Wednesday, and flanked by rank and file officers of the RSLPF, the acting COP set out to give a brief insight into her stint of duty and aspirations to maintain stability, security and safety for the general populace.
Descartes-Pelius expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity to take on that post, noting that she will seek to exemplify good leadership qualities in the quest to enable law enforcement officers to better perform their duties.
Noting the need for a multi-faceted approach to tackling crime, the acting COP assured that these antisocial disturbances can be overcome with support from the core membership of the RSLPF and collaboration with other agencies to transform Saint Lucia into a better place for the citizenry.
“To make our country a better place, we need to collaborate to fight social ills in this country and make Saint Lucia a safer place for all Saint Lucians and visitors alike,” declared Descartes-Pelius, adding this was the ultimate goal of the RSLPF.
While underlining the serious threat that gun violence poses to the country and its citizens, she said, the lack of resources to implement a thorough ‘crime-fighting strategy’ is a major challenge.
Interestingly, the press brief also served to introduce Ronald Phillip as the new acting Deputy Police Commissioner.
DCP (Ag.) Phillip, tasked with responsibility for the Central Castries division spoke on some ongoing investigations into some high- profile criminal matters. He reported that, on October 17 the confiscation of a refrigerator at Shed 6, Port Castries that had been used to conceal two high-powered rifles and the alleged implication of a senior law enforcement officer in that matter has not yet been resolved.
While admitting that a high-rank police officer has been linked to that case, Phillip said, no one has been arrested in connection with the matter. He added: “As a police organization, we commit to bringing a resolution to this matter, and as time progresses, we will provide further updates as it relates to the recovery of these firearms.”
On the troubling issue of the escalating gun violence in the country, he notes that this is a ‘regional phenomenon’, and supports the notion for regional collaboration to mitigate against the proliferation of illegal weapons into the region from foreign lands.
Providing added discourse to the proliferation of illegal guns issue, he stated that: “The issue of crime and gun violence is something that’s growing throughout the Eastern Caribbean and Latin America and a lot of that has to do with the illicit trading of firearms”.
Phillip asserted: “So the bigger issue for us in Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean is the firearms coming in. So if we can minimize or mitigate against that emergent threat, then we should be able to control what is happening within.
“So…while a multi-faceted approach is needed, much attention has to be given (placed) to preventing those illegal weapons from reaching our shores.”
DCP Phillip noted that in recent times, there has been “great synergy with external (law enforcement) partners in the Caribbean and further afield. In the region, and not just in Saint Lucia, there was a joint operation recently where several firearms were recovered …and in one month, a quantity of firearms were recovered and it was a regional approach.”