Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Phillip J. Pierre says the government will this year introduce more diverse social programs for youth engagement, conflict resolution, youth skill training, and employment, in conjunction with various stakeholders, including the private sector and churches, to curb the crime situation on the island.
“We will engage in national outreach to invite every individual and agency who can assist, to join the government in implementing measures to reduce the crime situation which is afflicting our country and when possible, provide some level of financial support to civil society groups engaged in crime prevention initiatives,” Pierre said in a national broadcast on Sunday night.
In 2021, the island had a record number of 71 murders and last year, that figure is reported to have been surpassed. Prime Minister Pierre told the nation that his administration will continue to empower and provide the police force with the equipment and modern technology, the training, the facilities, and the human resources that are required to pursue its mandate of maintaining law and order efficiently and successfully.
But he said at the same time, the police must appreciate their role and must fully commit themselves to their oath to serve and protect our country. The prime minister also said the Customs and Excise Department is expected to work closely with the police to manage the borders and to stem the entry of firearms and ammunition into the country.
In his broadcast, Prime Minister Pierre described crime “as “the monster in the room” adding “if as a people we can all adopt a zero-tolerance attitude to crime, whether it involves running a red light, knowingly driving a vehicle unfit for the road, tossing garbage and broken furniture into the river, child molestation, or peddling untruths on social media, chances are we will think a lot harder about arming ourselves with illegal weapons, to kill, injure or rob our fellow citizens.
“It goes without saying that no country, especially one small and with limited material resources such as St. Lucia, can hope to prosper when it is overwhelmed by lawlessness and anti-social behavior at all levels. And I speak of such behavior in all its forms, from deliberate lying by public figures, student-on-teacher violence, pickpocketing, and cheating on our taxes, to rape and murder.”
Phillip J. Pierre said he truly believes that if “we can agree to set aside our differences and work in unity toward a common goal if we can permit ourselves to see that where crime thrives all of us become victims of our own devices, that there can be no rampant crime if not supported by tacit public approval, we’ll be well on our way to reducing, if not eliminating the problem.
He said this year the government will keep its promise to strengthen the laws relating to integrity in public office and provide the Integrity Commission with much-needed resources to effectively deal with defaulters.
CMC/
