SAINT LUCIA LABOUR PARTY
[ESTABLISHED SINCE 1950]
STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT CRIME SITUATION IN SAINT LUCIA
By Honourable Dr. Robert K. Lewis – Parliamentary Representative for Castries South
SLP Spokesman on Crime & National Security
December 22, 2010
Fellow citizens of Saint Lucia at home and overseas, it gives me no joy whatsoever to have to address you on the crippling crime situation in our country. The current Government came to office promising to take a tough stance against crime, and in particular, to bring the murder rate down. However, we are witnessing a new record with some forty six (46) murders for the year so far. This represents a stunning rebuke of Prime Minister Stephenson King’s rhetoric on crime, and a recognition that the Government’s crime fighting strategy has failed.
It is worthy of note, that under the watch of Prime Minister Stephenson King some of the most gruesome criminal activities have taken place in our country. This includes the shooting and attempted murder of a Magistrate, the killing of two (2) Police Officers, the multiple execution style murders in Vanard, the bloody gangland multiple murders of Anse La Raye and the latest senseless murder of Castries businesswoman, Mrs Vanita Murpuri affectionately known as Mama. Mama’s brutal and premature death is a sad commentary on the state of crime in our country. The Government, therefore, cannot afford to ignore the deep social issues associated with crime.
Prime Minister King and his Cabinet seem to believe that they are the sole repositories of wisdom on fighting crime. Time and time again, the Government has rejected calls from the Opposition for a joint Parliamentary approach to dealing with the crime issue. I have myself on occasion stood as a lone voice urging the Government to have a full Parliamentary session on crime, only to be greeted by a wall of silence from the Prime Minister and his colleagues. I continue to believe that fighting crime is not a partisan issue and needs to be a collaborative approach that engages all sectors of our society Obviously, the Stephenson King administration does not believe this, yet has absolutely no response to crime, unlike the Saint Lucia Labour Party which has a plan that was being implemented while in office and which will be fine tuned before it returns to the seat of government. Additionally, there seem a disturbing closeness between prominent members of the criminal underworld and certain members of the UWP government ... a situation which may very well be providing these elements with a sense of protection from the ruling party and which helps to embolden them.
Today the Government’s irresponsibility has caught up with them and regrettably it is the Saint Lucian people who are paying the price. Hundreds of families have lost loved ones, many of whom were breadwinners or potential breadwinners. Those left behind are now left to struggle even more to make ends meet, but our Government has shown no genuine concern for the cries of the people. Some citizens are now locked up in their homes afraid to go out while others are fearful of working night and walking the streets late. That state of fear is a direct consequence of our Government’s failure to act appropriately, properly and decisively to arrest the growing crime rate.
So there is no point in the Prime Minister talking tough for public relations purposes but doing nothing to stop illegality by his Cabinet and Party colleagues. Saint Lucians have heard the Prime Minister make tough pronouncements on how he intends handling crime and other illegalities before. Example is the greatest teacher especially from our leaders; but if our Governmental leaders are poor examples, then, our children will value and learn the wrong things. Our young people must see and discern congruence between what is said and what is practiced by our leaders. The Prime Minister has not been tough on, or taken action against, any of his colleagues who have been chastised for illegality or found wanting by the courts, Therefore, the criminal elements in our country do not take him seriously. Prime Minister King should stop playing to the cameras and get real. Prime Minister King needs to set the example by taking the appropriate action against those in his Government who have broken the laws of the country.
The time for action is overdue. The prime minister must respond to the crime situation with the utmost urgency, not in words only but being decisive in his actions. We must hold him to his words. We cannot continue to talk tough. It is time for action!
This Government has not approached the crime problem in any logical, rational, structured, systematic or strategic way. All we get are knee-jerk reactions when the levels of violence and murder increase. That is not how you fight crime or any societal problem. Where is the vision? Where is the strategy? Where is the plan? Where are the resources? Where is the commitment? Where is the LEADERSHIP?
There is no vision in peace and love football which ends up in war! There is no strategy in high level government officials meeting with gang leaders at the SSU headquarters, and not coming out with a plan to end the war between rival gangs in our country. There is no plan in firing a Police Commissioner only to put his deputies in charge without providing the requisite resources and enabling systems. Adequate resources have not been allocated in fighting the root causes of crime! Where is the commitment to fighting crime by this Government when the Cabinet Task Force on Crime has never reported to the Saint Lucian people on its plans and successes to date? Where is the leadership in the fight against crime when our Prime Minister, faced with a murder in his own constituency office, can tell the world, so vociferously “NO ONE IS SAFE IN SAINT LUCIA.”
Finally, in speaking about this reckless abandonment of government’s obligation to demonstrate that it is pursuing the criminals, the Prime Minister cannot escape blame for the continuing incompetence of Minister of National Security in coming to grips with his portfolio. For it is, indeed, the height of recklessness for Mr King to allow Minister Mayers, a nominated and not elected member of Parliament, to spend most of his time campaigning in the constituency of Castries East, begging the citizens for their vote.
If Mr Mayers wishes to proceed on his election campaign, the Prime Minister has a duty to us, the citizens, to relieve him of his functions as Minister responsible for dealing with crime, the issue of greatest concern to Saint Lucians , and give the job to someone who can do the work.
There is grave concern in and out of Saint Lucia about the crime situation and everyone, from entrepreneurs to representatives of external agencies and governments, is hoping for a solution. The Labour Party is preparing to be part of that solution. Saint Lucians have lost confidence in the Stephenson King Government which has demonstrated serious double standards and a glaring lack of leadership on the issue of crime. We all must be gravely concerned at the unprecedented manner in which Saint Lucia’s international reputation for law enforcement in accordance with standard international practices is being damaged.
If the Government is serious about fighting the crime menace, it needs to abandon the cosmetics and go to the heart of the problem. The so called Cabinet Task Force which serves no useful purpose must be immediately replaced by a bipartisan Select Committee of Parliament on Crime. The Saint Lucia Labour Party is willing to make members available to serve on the Select Committee. However, that Committee must have the necessary powers to subpoena information and make binding recommendations to the Government.
The Government must also show its commitment to crime fighting by releasing to the public the Report on the Prison break out in August 2010. If the people are to be partners in fighting crime, they need to know why failures in the national security system occurred and what has been done to correct those failures. They also need to trust law enforcement personnel and this would require the purging of our security forces of political plants and corrupt officers. We are aware and concerned that since the changes in the leadership of the Police Force some months ago, the intelligence arm of the Police force has been compromised and certain co-operative foreign governments have lost confidence in our Government’s commitment to fight cross-border crime like drugs and money laundering.
The record number of murders, most of them gun related, is symptomatic of the prevalence of illegal firearms on our streets. Yet firearms surrender was not included in previous initiatives such as the Peace and Love initiative which was aimed at reducing violence and murder. We need a serious gun amnesty and a cash for guns programme similar to the ones initiated during the tenure of the Labour administration and which were very successful in reducing the number of illegal firearms in the country. This Government has not shown much commitment on fighting the crime scourge. Getting guns off the streets is one of the measures in successfully reducing the crime rate in this country. And this Government has done nothing substantial in reducing the flow of guns on our streets.
There must be a plan for real social transformation and ensuring equitable social justice particularly for people living in deprived communities. The present government has done virtually nothing about low cost housing, as for example, the people of Conway, promised so much and receiving so little, have been constantly complaining. Employment creation, as distinct from projects given on a political basis must be high on the agenda. Community organisation and development must be a priority. And education and sustainable livelihoods have to be the political imperative. We cannot be giving generous concessions to the few who are already well endowed, while there is no money for basic health, education and recreation for majority of Saint Lucians. Concessions must be linked to employment, economic contribution or social development.
Our Government also needs to open its eyes and study what is happening in other countries which have a similar problem. There is research on crime available, there are best practices that have been employed in other jurisdictions, but why hasn’t our Government sought to learn from those experiences? In Trinidad for example, new gang legislation has been introduced. Is our Attorney General aware of this or is he, another minister, too busy trying to campaign in Castries South? We will never get any respite from crime as long as our Government remains closed and privatised. We will not get the desired results in the fight against crime when critical portfolios – National Security, Justice and Attorney General – are in the hands of persons who are more interested in campaigning for votes than working to resolve some of the pressing issues that undermine the social and economic well being of our country. Those critical portfolios are being used to provide funding for UWP endorsed candidates with no regard for the need to bring effective and competent management to the leadership.
The failure of this administration to continue the twice yearly recruiting of Police Officers has resulted in a grossly under-staffed Police Force. This needs to be reinstated immediately, so that the capacity of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force can increase dramatically in the shortest possible time.
Additional resources in terms of equipment and basic policing tools and supplies must be provided with urgency. However, much more fundamentally, there needs to be a major overhaul of the management systems of the Police Force to ensure that a top quality security service is delivered to every Saint Lucian citizen on a 24-hour basis. Lack of staff, equipment or transportation cannot continue to be an issue if we are serious about fighting crime.
The Stephenson King Government has failed to deliver on its mandate on crime and the people of Saint Lucia are annoyed and disappointed. They have lost all hope in the empty talk and promises of this Government and the Saint Lucia Labour Party is ready to continue its fight against crime.
Consequently, early in the New Year, our Party will be convening an internal retreat to review our crime fighting policies to be followed by a National Symposium on Crime. At that National symposium we will invite experts and ordinary citizens alike to come in and share their ideas and experiences with us, on how to address the crime problem in a holistic manner. The recommendations of the Symposium, along with the measures that we have announced previously and in this address, will form part of a national consensus on crime going forward.
Therefore, I should like to reiterate that a Saint Lucia Labour Party and Government will:
● convene a National Symposium on Crime;
● Seek a bi-partisan approach to fighting crime by encouraging or appointing a Select Parliamentary Committee on Crime;
● Institute incentives for the surrender of illegal firearms and a gun amnesty with the aim of reducing the number of guns on our streets;
● ensure that the enabling management systems of the Royal Saint Lucia police Force are in place, the requisite resources are provided and the intelligence gathering capacity of the Force is not compromised;
● demand of Government leaders that they set the example by upholding the laws of the land;
● Make use of knowledge on best practices in crime fighting;
● work to alleviate some of the social and economic conditions - for example providing low cost housing that will alleviate the growing crime problem; and
● provide leadership that does not condone illegality and law breaking within its ranks.
Fellow citizens, we in the Saint Lucia Labour Party appreciate your concerns about the crime situation in our country. The Saint Lucia Labour Party understands your pain and despair at the gross incompetence of the Stephenson King Government in dealing with crime. We assure you that we have the vision – a vision that was unfolding before the elections of 2006 – a plan, the strategy, the commitment and the Leadership to tackle the problem of crime from its core. We are determined to tackle this problem with the fullness of our national energy, intellect and experience. You have heard, this evening, about some of the ways in which we, as a Government intend to proceed. And we are confident that change will come when the Stephenson King Government is removed and replaced by one which understands that you must build upon a solid foundation like the one laid by the previous Labour administration.
Let me call on all Saint Lucians at home and overseas to come together to fight the crime menace that seeks to destroy our country. This country belongs to all of us. Therefore, we need to make our contribution in fighting all the ills that affect us as a people and nation.
I pray that Almighty God will give us the will to unite in our fight in reducing the high level of crime that presently engulfs us
