The Castries City Police is touting its success after arresting 15 persons last month, some of whom are presently inmates at the Bordelais Correctional Facility.
Head of City Police, Yone Camchon, told reporters they’d “recorded a success rate pertaining to [the] apprehension of criminals… especially against visitors” and the matters are currently in court.
With regards to minors, Camchon said that “a few… have been brought to the Boys Training Center.”
But he also noted that when a juvenile is charged with a summary offence, the parent or guardian can be held accountable for their actions.
“You have seen an increase in police presence, both in plain clothes and police attire. We have strategised our plans, patrolled the hot spots, and identified the perpetrators,” he said.
Castries Mayor, Geraldine Lendor-Gabriel, noted that “There are mitigating factors – broken homes, parents who work long hours… [and] many times they are influenced by persons within the community.
She said that they try to find mechanisms that would help young people become better citizens.
“I want to commend the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force because, without them, we can’t do it. The support of the commissioner has been tremendous. We have seen a lot of improvements in the performance of our city police officers,” she told the press.
The mayor said that they did an “intensive two-week training programme [and] I think that builds the confidence of the team. We also did another set of training in relation to a data management system. We also increased their tools and equipment.”