Crime was again at the center of discussion during Tuesday’s opposition United Workers Party (UWP) weekly briefing.
Former Inspector with the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), Foster Chiquot, was present to give his historical account of the escalation of crime on the island, spanning his over 35-year-old career in the force, which he says began in 1989.
Chiquot refuted current claims widely discussed amongst the public on crime in Saint Lucia, including perceptions that incidents are gang-related.
The former inspector said, “To date, we have had very little success with the prosecution of gangs, because you and I both know, that while we hear what we hear on the street, of certain areas that are under the control of gangs, there is no established gang per se in Saint Lucia.”
Chiquot aimed to debunk talk of the presence of rival gangs saying, “If you speak to the average police officer, he will tell you, “Yes [they’re] hearing the names”. The “six” and the “seven.” Now I understand there is “thirteen”…but if you go around and you ask persons, well, where are the gangs? Where do they live? Where do they operate from? There is no established system of the gangs.”
The former inspector also scrutinised the prevalence of gun-related incidents in certain areas of Saint Lucia, questioning the entrance of firearms onto the island—something he believes can be curbed with the reintroduction of canine officers.
Chiquot: “Sixty percent of the homicides, according to the latest statistics, are gun related. We ask ourselves where are those guns coming from. Most scholars would tell you porous borders, because we have all the coves and inlets…so persons can come in from Martinique, Saint Vincent, and other regions. That is what is claimed. But what about our ports of entry?”
The former inspector added, “We know, that we have had incidents where we have actually recovered firearms in barrels, in containers coming into the island. Those are ports of entry. Where are the scanners, where are the canine units?”
Chiquot says before leaving the force in 2021, he recalls situations where canine units were deployed, thus hastening police operations. “I know how effective the canine unit can be in deterring crime. It saves a lot of time… because the dog would recover those firearms or drugs within minutes,” he asserted.
The former inspector says he believes Saint Lucia requires a concerted, collaborative effort across stakeholders to bring crime under control.
