- “We must all take action to protect our country’ – Office of the Prime Minister
- “… place your trust in our capabilities”, says the commissioner of police, Crusita Descartes-Pelius
- Despite the lockdown and heavy police presence Friday, in Vieux – Fort, three people were shot dead
By Caribbean News Global contributor
CASTRIES, St Lucia – There is more to the continuous mass murders in Saint Lucia that recently overshadowed Saint Lucia’s 44th independence celebrations. And as illustrated in the hypocrisy, domination and misrepresentations that have ruled and continue to rule over Saint Lucia, the killing fields continued Friday evening in Vieux Fort where three people were shot dead.
And in yet another written script that does not address the RSLPF weakness in leadership and operational efficiency, commissioner of police, Crusita Descartes-Pelius, says “ … place your trust in our capabilities.”
Related Links:
- St Lucia’s killing fields continues
- Vieux-Fort carnage, ‘the killers were brazen’, says Kenny Anthony
The permeance of criminality in Saint Lucia is an outright disgrace, bearing in mind the island is a ‘tourist destination’ there is an equal disregard for law and order and the continuance of the underground economy.
There is also a secondary element, with the scorn for informed content being silent and bewildering in virtually every institution of government. Hitherto, to recognize outright self-destruction, an honest exchange, must infuse the masks.
In the customary illusion to bury a story late Friday, a press release from the office of the prime minister nonchalantly, referenced the mass murders/gang violence, saying it has “left behind not only broken families but communities fearful for their safety.”
The weak, nonchalant and bungling communication faced up to hypocrisy at the highest level saying:
“The seemingly targeted and retaliatory homicides which intensified over the past few weeks have no place in an economy poised for economic development and growth.”
The fallacy continues to the appropriateness that dominates the misrepresentations to the collective “we” – that is yet to be identified.
Conversely, consider the OPM statement relative to national security and crime-fighting:
“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 Saint Lucia.”
There can be no sound reasoning in the subtle shifting of direct responsibility from the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force [RSLPF], Customs and Excise, the ministry of national security and the weak security apparatus of Saint Lucia, as a function of the ordinary man and woman.
The OPM press release proffered that in addition to strengthening existing laws, and providing firearm detection equipment and training to the police, the prime minister and minister for national security, Philip Pierre, made the following appeal:
“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 man the ports and other unguarded routes of entry to carry out their duties honourably.”
For starters, it is the direct responsibility and function of the government to provide law and order, the protection of citizens, and from foreign antagonist. This also includes addressing the persistent challenges of government corruption, inadequate transparency, and the perception of impunity for such abuses.
In accordance with resource allocation to crime, the OPM submitted that “The government will also continue to work with the RSLPF 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.”
Nevertheless, the normal encumbrance to deviate to external reason and sophistry, to the prophecy by Dr Kenny D. Anthony, parliamentary representative for Vieux-Fort South, that, “ there will be no peace in Vieux – Forth South.”
The OPM in large measure sought to construct what is well-known, that: “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 deal with strengthening our capacity to deal with these issues. CARICOM heads of government are due to meet in April this year, to further discuss “Violence As a Public Health Crisis” and provide solutions to this regional issue.”
Herein lies protecting the environment, the task of governing, on issues of organized crime, drug trafficking, lawlessness, health care and the economy – that are most worrisome to Saint Lucians.
Thus, what does the government’s agenda prescribe?
“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 bring the situation back to some degree of normality.”
The clarion call has and continues to be that, “ We must fight these criminal gangs and their leaders who are intent on destroying our country for their own selfish and criminal reasons,” said the prime minister and minister for national security. ” I am confident that with our collective efforts, we can make Saint Lucia a safer place by ridding ourselves of these cowards and criminals.”
Meantime the message seems, “we (undefined) must fight these criminal gangs and their leaders,” – it is time for the RSLPF, the ministry of national security, the security apparatus and advisors of the state, to govern, not the street.
This is primarily essential, considering that organized crime and ‘the gangs have won’ – and especially as commissioner of police, Crusita Descartes-Pelius, says, “… place your trust in our capabilities.”
