FROM the commencement of the year, a total of seven homicides have been recorded. This figure is unacceptable. The blatant disregard for the law and the clear intention of the few to cause mayhem and instill fear with the commission of these senseless retaliatory fashioned murders must be arrested.
There has been a concerted effort by the men and women of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force to increase operations and detection rates, along with broadening of preventative measures, through collaborations with various stakeholders. These efforts have produced results, as this year our successes in terms of firearm and ammunition seizures have continued to be on the incline. Major operations have been spearheaded in several communities which resulted in the arrests of numerous suspects, seizures of prohibited and restricted items, cash, and drug trafficking interventions, to name a few. There have also been strides in deterring crime, as officers utilize critical information obtained to prevent incidents of crime. Intelligence-driven tactics have been deployed to avert numerous instances of violence. For commitment to safeguarding the citizenry, my officers, I say thank you and urge you to continue your endeavours. We will place even greater emphasis on our community policing drives and not allow miscreants to disrupt our accomplishments in guaranteeing peace in every corner of the country. I urge each of you to continue to render impartial service, where ultimately our integrity will always be maintained.
Despite all these positive strides, a small percentage of the population has continued with their criminal operations, in what can only be described as targeted attacks on the security of the country. Collectively we will take a stance against this lawlessness. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. It is time for a resounding outcry and stern admonishment, accompanied by forceful reminders that such practices will not be tolerated. We have seen that crime has far-reaching tentacles; no area is immune to its effects. So, it is everyone’s responsibility to contribute in the fight against crime. The belief that the mammoth task of crime reduction is solely that of the police to shoulder, is one we quickly need to dispel. Such notions only serve to embolden persons who commit unlawful acts and who feed off the “hands-off attitude” of the public. I implore you the public, our most critical partner in this, to cooperate with us. Utilize the various reporting platforms such as our crime hotline (555), our crime hotline app, or otherwise, to provide information regarding crime to the relevant authorities. It is impossible for the police to know and act unless you stand up and report it. Let us cease the practice of enabling a cycle of violence. As a nation, we cannot allow ourselves to become a population grappled with fear; we are Saint Lucians! We are proud, we are resilient and we are definitely not victims. Let us not allow criminals who contribute little by being nuisances, to control our national security narrative.
The RSLPF will continue to make persons who engage in this outright criminality uncomfortable. We will continue, within the parameters of the law, our efforts to find you and make it impossible for you to have a sense of peace. Note that the law empowers the police, now more than ever, to destabilize and dismantle your operations and that we will achieve.
Saint Lucia, together we can, we have and we will.