The Philip J. Pierre SLP administration and its supporters are quick to label any criticism of their dismal handling of crime as “politicizing” the issue. But this is not merely a cop out. It isn’t merely a diversion tactic — it is a blatant attempt to conceal their willful neglect, incompetence, and the deadly consequences of their policies.
Crime is not a political game to be exploited for deflection. It is a matter of life and death. Yet, this administration has turned a blind eye as violent crime has spiraled out of control, placing political protectionism over public safety and national security.
The dismantling of the canine unit stands as a grotesque symbol of this administration’s reckless mismanagement. Knowing full well that the scanners at our ports of entry were dysfunctional, they chose to disband the most critical tool in border security — the canine unit tasked with sniffing out illegal weapons and narcotics. This decision effectively opened the floodgates to criminal enterprises smuggling guns and drugs, flooding our streets with deadly weapons.
It took them over a year to “replace” the canine — a replacement dog that was mysteriously poisoned under government care. Is this sheer negligence, or something more sinister? No one has been held accountable for this betrayal of national security. This government’s silence in the face of such failure is deafening.
Consider also their reckless decision to expunge charges and convictions against violators of the Covid-19 Prevention and Control Act early in their term in office, sending the wrong message when respect for law and order mattered most. Such political grandstanding eroded public trust and undermined the rule of law.
They boast the most ministers and ministries responsible for security in our history: a Minister of Crime Prevention, a Minister of Home Affairs, and the Prime Minister himself holding the National Security portfolio. Yet, St. Lucia plummets to being counted among the top ten countries globally for its murder rate — an international disgrace.
Since 2022, hundreds of murders have stained our communities with grief. In the past three weeks alone — a time when St. Lucians should have been embracing cultural joy during Carnival — a violent surge has shaken families to their core.
Among the recent tragic victims are a pregnant woman, carrying her unborn child of seven months, mercilessly killed; a fifteen-year-old boy gunned down in the Prime Minister’s own constituency; innocent lives extinguished without justice or adequate government response.
These are not just numbers. These are children, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters — the heart and soul of our communities. Children now forced to grow up parentless, families ripped apart by avoidable violence, and communities haunted by trauma, fear and despair.
How many more lives must be lost before this government acts decisively? How many more grieving families will be left without answers? How long can we tolerate ministers who preach accountability but fail to deliver it?
This is not politicizing crime. This is exposing the staggering hypocrisy of a government that chooses politics over people. A government obsessed on maintaining power while our streets bleed.
The Philip J. Pierre administration must be held to account—not with empty talking points but with decisive action. National security demands more than titles and slogans; it demands integrity, responsibility, and results.
We call for a full, independent investigation into all failures—border control, the poisoned canine dog, and the cavalier disregard for the rule of law. St. Lucians deserve justice. St. Lucians deserve safety. And above all, St. Lucians deserve a government that protects its people instead of endangering them.
The time for political games is over. The time for urgent, unflinching leadership is now.