It is no secret that our laws in part originated from what’s on the books in Canada and the United Kingdom and that those laws are meant to govern almost every facet of our daily life in St. Lucia. Over the years we have no doubt amended what is already there and installed new legislation to combat new age issues. The apparent call for more legislation to adequately deal with problems facing the island remains a mystery to some.
A cursory legal glance around the island speaks loudly about how lawless we can be and how ineffective we are at upholding those laws that make for a safer environment.
We have addressed here the dangerous driving on the island’s roads, a pet peeve of the nation generally but also of the nation’s prime minister Philip Pierre who has made many pronouncements on the issue and who has called on the police to clamp down on perpetrators. Another facet of the motor vehicle issue is the exceedingly bright, blinding aftermarket lights at night that are equally dangerous, with some vehicle owners curtailing the nocturnal traverse in fear of what they see as an impending disaster.
Then there is the noise pollution, which we have also dealt with, whether originating from vehicles or residences, or other establishments.
We are also confronted with the issue of waste disposal and the indiscriminate dumping of anything almost anywhere that consequently creates, in some cases, health hazards for entire communities.
Much can be said about students and their afterschool “activities,” particularly in the city center, which ultimately ends on social media, unfortunately making good entertainment for some. These afterschool “activities” seem to go unattended, hence its continuation and possible increase.
In more recent times we have been hearing of increased cases involving the police and narcotics and their apprehension of individuals attempting, in some cases, to import large amounts of drugs into the island, whether through the ports or otherwise. While that is a feather in the cap of the police, it also signals the continued efforts in the drug trade.
There are laws and regulations to govern all of what we have highlighted here along with many others including the likes of money laundering. So why do we feel that St. Lucia’s lawlessness is intensifying. The proposition is that it has everything to do with the enforcement of our existing legislation and less about the need for the creating of more laws. It would be absolutely useless to pass more laws if the existing ones are not enforced.
In the Yale Law Journal it is said that law is not law if it’s not enforced while other similar organizations suggest, with some evidence, that what is considered small crimes, when enforced, has a greater effect on human behavior than the much less frequent catching of major criminals.
If this is to be taken as absolute fact, the police and St. Lucia generally would do well to place heavier emphasis on the so-called small crimes.
After all, if the these so-called small crimes have such a profound impact on the society, are they really small crimes?