CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – St. Lucians are being called on to work together to combat the rise in crime and violence. Prime Minister Philip J Pierre made the plea following gang violence that “has left behind not only broken families but communities fearful for their safety.”
“The targeted and retaliatory homicides which intensified over the past few weeks have no place in an economy poised for economic development and growth. We must work together to combat the growing presence of firearms on our streets and to protect our citizens from the scourge of gun-related crime. We must all take action to reduce the number of guns in circulation in St. Lucia,” said Pierre in a statement issued by his office.
“In addition to strengthening existing laws and providing firearm detection equipment and training to the police, I am calling on members of the public to do their part by reporting any suspicious activities relating to guns or other dangerous weapons. The criminals do not care about us. Therefore we must commit to safeguarding our lives and livelihoods by having zero tolerance for crime. I am calling on our workers who operate the ports and other unguarded routes of entry to carry out their duties honorably.”
According to the Prime Minister, the government will also continue to work with the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force by providing them with resources that will facilitate the investigation and prosecution of illegal gun possession.
“We will also work to increase awareness of the dangers posed by gun-related crime on affected families and the psychology of our nation. Saint Lucia does not produce firearms. Our region has become a dumping ground for illegal arms. Saint Lucia is working with friendly governments to provide the necessary resources for our country to strengthen our capacity to deal with these issues.”
He added that the heads of government from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are due to meet in April this year to discuss further “Violence As a Public Health Crisis” and provide solutions to this regional issue.
“I call on the public to support the police and their efforts as they work valiantly to address this situation and bring peace back to our communities. We cannot continue in this vein. We will all suffer. The police have been called to take all necessary measures to restore the situation to some normality. We must fight these criminal gangs and their leaders intent on destroying our country for selfish and criminal reasons.”
The Prime minister said that with collective efforts, “we can make Saint Lucia a safer place by ridding ourselves of these cowards and criminals.”
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