The Royal St. Lucia Police Force {RSLPF} may not be doing a victory lap just yet and may not even be interested in such. A little pat on the shoulder, however, may be in order if one looks at their figures relating to criminal activity on the island.
It is believed that the wide majority of St. Lucians are seemingly unsatisfied with the RSLPF and its performance over the past few years. It is undoubtedly a major talking point for the political opposition and their supporters, a group that may even include supporters of the current administration, particularly in this “silly season.” But is the RSLPF deserving of a little applause? If you ask the man on the street, you may end up with a mixed bag, while the opposition will blame the government, the RSLPF will insist they are doing their absolute best, the government has said they have supported the police to the hilt and their figures provided by the RSLPF profess loudly that they are on the right track.
A brief glance at the figures shows a double-digit year-to-date figure decline in every major department. That includes Burglary, Robbery, Firearm offenses, Drug offenses, Sexual offenses, Stolen vehicles and Stealing from persons. Every one of these departments recorded major declines except Stealing from persons which only saw a 7% drop in reported incidents. A 47% decline was recorded in the Stolen vehicles column, 38% as it relates to Burglary, 14% in Firearm offenses and a 24% decrease in reported Sexual offenses.
Many believe that the RSLPF can, but has failed to deal with our crime situation properly while others contend that the police act both as a deterrent and a response to criminal activity but are not, in and of themselves, responsible for the criminal state of the nation. Whichever your leanings, and if the figures are accurate, then the RSLPF must be applauded for at least trending in the right direction.
Everyone who is paying even cursory attention to our crime situation will agree that our figures are still way too high and the feeling on the streets and in local communities is not a comfortable one.
We have seen periods of sustained police operations around the island that have reportedly reaped some notable results. Quite recently a number of arrests were reported at our ports, north and south, relating to the local drug trade. We continue to see guns and ammunition being taken off the streets on a regular basis. To date, over 4,800 rounds of ammunition and almost 100 firearms have been seized by law enforcement.
While it must be made very clear that we are not the mouthpiece of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force, it must also be understood that their success is hinged to support from the local population.
This by no means is a soft stance on the RSLPF and its operations.
It must always be a case of giving Jack……whatever is coming to Jack.