The bloodbath in which 2023 ended seems to have flowed into 2024, with seven homicides already recorded; a state of affairs that seems to give Saint Lucians an eerie feeling that this year may not be different to last year, crime wise.
Given what we have already seen, we are hoping that the interactions between Saint Lucians that have led to crimes involving guns, murders, blatant aggression, frightening boldness and an outright dislike for law and order, are not as many this year compared to the last few years.
The expectations of the people of Saint Lucia in living in a crime free country should not be laughed at, neither should it be seen as whimsical or fanciful. It is a hope, that the government they voted into power would give it to them. Afterall, it is the job of the government of the day, and the opposition as well, to aspire to do so.
A crime free Saint Lucia hinges on several factors. To us, however, the biggest of these factors is a corruption-free government.
A government with strong integrity and a penchant for eradicating or preventing corruption on local, regional and international levels will have a positive impact throughout the country and on all sectors of the economy, thereby helping to reduce criminal activities to low or negligible levels.
We believe that a corrupt-free government and a corrupt-free society would be so focused on the sustainable development of country, building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, in country, that its citizens will find little or no time to engage in wrongful activities. Such a society is achievable, we just have to buckle down and demand more from our politicians, and most of all be more astute, more fathoming of the men and women we accept to represent us in our parliament.
Over the past three years we have been experiencing a crime wave which has threatened to transform into a tsunami. Beating back that crime tsunami is the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLFP). Now we know that the RSLPF is not the best crime fighting force in the world. And we also know it is drenched with issues, one issue being the dearth of leadership to seamlessly fill the top spot whenever it becomes vacant. We are currently witnessing this with Commissioner of Police Crusita Descartes-Pelius who government had to put back at the helm for another year.
But despite the issues plaguing the RSLPF, we owe much thanks and gratitude to its members for the job they have been doing: fighting the crime monster and keeping it in check, which by the way is no easy monster to beat with corruption rampant in the land.
Often maligned and seldom praised, the men and women of the RSLPF have given us invaluable service over the years. The few rotten apples in their midst have not weakened the desire of the majority to do good or go beyond the call of duty. Then there are the few who stand on their principles in the face of hatred and dislike aimed at them by their own colleagues. They do what they are trained to do without the expectation of any accolades.
Some of us may not like it said, but the RSLPF is one of our treasured assets and hence the reason why we cannot let the rotten apples continue to be members, irrespective of the rank some of them may hold. And that is where the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Security comes in. It is the business of these ministries to ensure that this treasured asset of ours is devoid of corruption, meaning devoid of vice, immorality, sleaziness, exploitation and above all dishonesty.
It is incumbent on all of us, as a country, to put our house in order by working together to make Saint Lucia as crime free as possible. Government, RSLPF, citizens, must work to redress the areas of concern we all have in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding. We cannot afford to let the bloodbath of the past years tarnish 2024. Let us stop the flow of blood!