- Cruscita Descartes-Pelius has been appointed as Commissioner of Police effective September 1, 2023, for one year:
- “Fundamental changes in the police force that are necessary, are beyond my control.” – Philip Pierre.
- The RSLPF and the public service; two vestitures of colonial systems – have become the elephant in the room and need to be disbanded.
By Caribbean News Global 
CASTRIES, St Lucia – The conceptual political agenda, leadership, governance and the Royal St Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) – a colonial dinosaur – coupled with the incompetence of policy formulation on National Security has come full circle with the re-appointment of Cruscita Descartes-Pelius as the island’s “Top Cop”, in the form of flashing mirrors and ostensibly a disservice to Saint Lucia.
Descartes-Pelius re-commissioned from recent retirement and assumed the new appointment as “Commissioner of Police effective September 1, 2023, for one year,” further illustrating the usefulness of the cadre of gazette offices.
The policy and application likewise, fortifies the writings and publications on CNG to matters of national security, much to the annoyance of policymakers, and the incompetence of competent political ornaments.
With little surprise but for the affirmation, (though not needed) the announcement per the Office of the Prime Minister on September 4, 2023, qualifies the backwardness, associated with national security and the reanimation of the recognizable.
Backwardness
On Monday, October 17, 2022, Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Economic Development and the Youth Economy, and Minister for Justice and National Security, announced the appointment of Crusita Descartes-Pelius as the Commissioner of Police (Ag.), to succeed police commissioner Milton Desir, who commenced pre-retirement leave on October 14.
Crusita Descartes-Pelius, Commissioner of Police (Ag.), is a decorated police officer with more than three decades of experience in law enforcement. She previously served as the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) responsible for corporate services and strategic operations.
The matter-of-fact was and is simple
On September 17, 2020, Caribbean News Global (CNG) reported that the Royal St Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) and the public service are in disarray. The latter indicated that “the retirement on September 8, 2020, of acting commissioner Milton Desir, and on September 21, Desir, resumed active duty as deputy commissioner of police (DCP) reportedly, “following a request by the Ministry of Home Affairs.”
The OPM September 4, 2023, press release continued:
“Her [Crusita Descartes-Pelius] reinstatement as Commissioner of Police is expected to be accompanied by a comprehensive professional training programme for senior officers aimed at cultivating strong leadership and ushering in a new cadre of leadership within the RSLPF.”
“A comprehensive professional training programme” … for senior officers aimed at cultivating strong leadership, … in a new cadre of leadership …”
Let’s be frank. This is all but a hot-air balloon that states the infamous obvious. The picture is one of a historical re-occurrence, recognised by the duelling embedding of culture, incompetence and politics.
The inhabit narrative recalls:
“As substantial matters now stand – the RSLPF and the public service; two vestitures of colonial systems – have become the elephant in the room and needs to be disbanded.”
The CNG article ‘St Lucia police are out of their wits and wanting in many aspects’ comments:
“The reality remains – the RSLPF – should be stripped to a constabulary police service,” the intelligence resource recommended.
“ The hierarchy of the RSLPF are out of their wits,” hitherto, “the dysfunctional RSLPF remains in peril as a short-handed force, with a poor human resource component, intelligence, enforcement and communication and of no match to the elements playing hide and seek, police and crooks in the streets of Saint Lucia.”
To further understand the deficiency and the dysfunctional apparatus of the RSLPF, a letter to the editor published in June 2020, said:
“To reiterate, it is my view that the RSLPF must be disbanded in much that same as Minneapolis disbanded its police department seven years ago.”
“I must say, the agents of law and order in Saint Lucia are appalling,” concluded the letter.
Then and now represents the same … ‘St Lucia’s Gazetted police offices should be sent packing’:
“The damaged relations, miscommunication and optics with senior leadership reflects the compromised RSLPF’s inability to cope and put forward a solid operational plan to law enforcement in Saint Lucia.
“The unprecedented national security crisis in Saint Lucia was not unforeseen, albeit gross incompetence to make available expertise, acquire enforcement tools, and a new integrated command centre.”
“The RSLPF [1834] malignant culture is tainted, not the least by Operation Restore Confidence (ORC) and still subject to the Leahy Law is unfit for modern-day policing, law enforcement and futuristic systems.”
With a completely overstretched RSLPF perhaps there is an excuse to get out of Leahy Law – utilizing a complete confession and judicial proceedings – with an understanding of the tough guys reclaiming the streets and communities of Saint Lucia tainted with lawlessness.
However, governments’ incompetence due to the lack of political fortitude, policy formulation, indifference to democratic conservative foreign policy attributes and lobbying skills, radiates recycling famous dinosaurs are cool at saving face and protecting intangibles.
The indisposition to the recurrent decimal will not go away, except to face genuineness. St Lucia is still subject to Leahy Law despite additional forms of appeasement.
Conversely, ‘St Lucia’s police force beyond repair’ – Thus it resonates to re-examine the policy agenda, the continuation of a flawed and broken RSLPF and a national security system, operating at an unbearable cost to taxpayers – delivering unsatisfactory service.
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip Pierre [has apparently] said, [if the audio interpretation is correct, and that he did not mis-spoke] courageously pointed out that, “fundamental changes in the police force that are necessary, are beyond my control,” during an appearance on HTS programme ‘What Makes You Mad’. The prime minister and minister for national security may have also inadvertently announced that the “only change he could make in the police force is at the level of Commissioner”.
The declaration by the OPM press statement [September 4, 2023] wittingly and/or unwittingly articulates CNG’s previous publications:
“The RSLPF and public service are arcade and dysfunctional vestiges of the colonial system, that pivots the governance of the country and cajoles the political system for legitimacy.”
Citizen security?
The government of Saint Lucia also communicated that it “remains dedicated to public safety and the well-being of all citizens,” however, the obvious is true in the trepidation of fear, historic homicides, weak leadership and infamous policy formulation.
Reforming the national security landscape, and outlining a shared vision and collaboration are ambiguous and aloof.
A security analysis noted:
“If the RSLPF cannot protect citizens, and the government is at the mercy of civilians, thugs, gangs, and drug barons, requesting ideas and solutions, what good is there in having a government, paid by taxpayers? Even worse: Is this a sign of more things to come?”
New approaches
Meanwhile, exemplified former ‘Top Cops’ from the RSLPF are leveraging their expertise to other countries in the Caribbean and beyond – the recycling policy of failed ‘Top Cops’ in Saint Lucia continues to be a disservice to national security.
The disembodied vision of the RSLPF serves as a smoke screen … in delayed gratification for the preferred gazetted police officer, supported by the political brass to be appointed police commissioner, albeit, unsuitably.
Utilizing time and space (12 months) is considered another dynamic trajectory, the nature of politics and the proficiency that attends to the changeability of alternative unscientific practices. The result – metaphoric of Dinosaurs!
