Saturday, August 27, 2011

Trinidad & Tobago: Curfew imposed to address growing criminal activities

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I applaud the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force for doing a hell-of-a-job so far, but we also need stiffer penalties for the lowlifes.

August 27, 2011 at 1:24 PM
John Harris said...

Mr Chastanet:

I was stunned when I read your opening sentence. Do you have the statistics to support your statement? Is this a fact or your opinion? It is obvious that you are privy to some information that the rest of us do not have access to in St. Lucia. I say this because there are no statistics available to support or refute your statement.

After reading your article, I searched fervently for the statistics to support your statement but my search was futile and in vain. There are no statistics available on crime in St. Lucia for the years 2006-2011 on http://www.stats.gov.lc website or for the years 2008-2011 on http://rslpf.com website.

Since they took office in December 2006, the Stephenson King Administration has provided St. Lucians with only one statistical report on crime and that is for the year 2007. What a shame! Guy Mayers should be held accountable for not making these statistics available to St. Lucians. How can we speak about a decrease in criminal activity when there are no statistics available to the public to corroborate such a statement? How do we evaluate the effectiveness of these decisive measures you speak about in your opening sentence? Have these measures translated into the reduction of criminal activity in St. Lucia? Again, where are the statistics on the most recent criminal activity in St. Lucia?

By the way, have you been to the following websites http://www.cso.gov.tt/statistics and http://www.jcf.gov.jm , since you spoke about criminal activity in these countries? One can surely understand why the Kamla Persad Bissessar’s Administration would introduce a curfew based on the statistical data presented to them.

What statistics has the Stephenson King administration used to evaluate the effectiveness of these decisive measures you made reference to in your opening statement? I look forward to next week’s article.

August 29, 2011 at 3:57 PM
John Harris said...

Government must ‘get radical on crime’ – St Lucia Catholic paper - Apr 10
2011 - Caribbean Church News

Saturday, 09 April 2011 21:48
St Lucia’s Catholic Chronicle has called on the island’s government to get tough on crime.
In a recent editorial titled “Get Radical On Crime”, the monthly said “the nation is totally exasperated over the random shootings, gang warfare and seemingly uncontrollable escalation of crime in this country.”
It described Prime Minister Stephenson King’s “Six Point” response to the increasing incidence of murder and violence as “lame”, adding: “More support for the police, better hardware, more officers on the ground, cooperation with the USA and Israel on intelligence, a hotline in Miami, all sound like “If they will work now, why were they not done before?”
The paper said the nation’s leadership “seem to have no answers that can generate confidence in the public” and that the crime situation is bigger than any political party or government. Not mincing words, the Chronicle editorial said responsible persons should “stop playing games, blaming this one for being soft on crime, or that one for doing nothing, as if they had the answers.
“We all know the problem is massive and the least that can be done is to be radical about it. Stop playing games. Get down to the root. Somebody knows who are the untouchables, the unmentionables profiting from the blood of others.
“It may take the concerted effort of government, opposition, civil society to do it, but it must be done.”

September 1, 2011 at 4:46 AM
John Harris said...

A service of the Bureau of Consular Affairs
U.S. Department of State
http://travel.state.gov
October 19, 2010

CRIME: Crime, including armed robbery, does occur and is rising in St. Lucia. Violent crime is often connected to narcotics trafficking. Petty crime also occurs, with tourists being targeted often. Efforts by the St. Lucian authorities to improve public safety on the island are ongoing. Visitors should inquire about their hotel’s security arrangements before making reservations. Valuables left unattended on beaches and in rental cars are vulnerable to theft. Visitors should use caution, especially at night and in less frequented areas.

September 1, 2011 at 7:26 AM
John Harris said...

St. Lucia could use help from T.O. cops – Minister
http://www.sharenews.com
Posted by Editor on Thursday, March 17th, 2011 in Local News
By RON FANFAIR

Concerned about the sharp spiral in violent crime in St. Lucia, the island's law enforcement administrators say they are open to any assistance they can get from global law enforcement agencies, including the Toronto Police Service (TPS).

That country's Minister of Home Affairs and National Security Guy Mayers and Acting Police Commissioner Vernon Francois met with Acting Chief Peter Sloly.
They were in Toronto for the St. Lucia Association of Toronto's (SLAT) annual banquet marking the island's 32nd independence anniversary. Mayers was the keynote speaker at last Saturday night's event which Sloly attended.

St. Lucia, which has a population of about 165,000, has recorded 18 murders in the first two months of the year. Last year's total of 48 was the highest since the island secured its independence on February 22, 1979.

"We want to build a relationship with Toronto Police that will help us strengthen our service," Mayers, who co-owns the St. Lucia Mirror newspaper, told Share. "One of the things I would like to see is that our officers acquire specialized training by going overseas and working on a short-term basis with police services in Canada, the United States and England. That's something we are pushing for to boost our police force."

Francois agreed with Mayers, saying he would welcome a collaboration between his organization and the TPS which has always been at the forefront in the use of the latest cutting edge technology to aid investigations.

"If we can form an alliance with the Toronto Police, I will be very happy," he said. "We are a small force, so any support we can get, we will take. We are open to any technical assistance we can get from any police service. We however do not need human resources since I believe we can handle our own problems and issues.".....

September 1, 2011 at 8:11 AM

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