My Recommendations To Immediately Address This Carnage

One comment on this:
I do not agree with the suspending of bail, or of automatically denying bail, for any offence. And definitely not for a period of 90 days, or more.
The police may bring charges maliciously. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE A DUTY TO INVESTIGAGTE BEFORE BRINGING CHARGES. Sometimes they may not investigate or refuse to do reasonable investigation, or may know that the charges are bogus, and without reasonable grounds. Yet still bring the charges before a magistrate or judge. And the magistrate, or judge, will not really look into the strength of the evidence or into the question of whether the charges are based on reasonable suspicion, or made capriciously, or contrary to court demanded precedent.
(I recall whilst studying law many years ago ago in England, that the strength of the evidence may influence the issue of bail or the bond amount, but I am not sure that this principle is being properly applied in St. Lucia, if at all.)
So to suspend bail for any offence or any amount of time, is really unconstitutional, and I believe we have a precedent for this in St. Lucia. That even the suspension of bail, or automatic denial of bail, for murder is unconstitutional.
The wrongly accused and charged may have enough problems with time spent locked up before bail, plus may not always be able to find the extortionate bail required by fraudulent or reckless charges, or it may take that person longer to arrange bail. This should be, and I believe is, a serious crime.
It is bad enough that people are locked up for years on remand, often for minor offences, at great expense to the state and society, without adding to this problem.
WOULD YOU LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU, OR YOUR LOVED ONES????
I comment only on this point in the article. I reserve comment on the rest, other than to say that you have some well thought out ideas and good points to be considered, Mr Irvin Springer.
#Freedom #FREEWon #CONSTITUTION

Excellent ideas… someone poured liquid into the phockin scanner @ customs!… this is what I’ve been saying all along customs needs a clean sweep and audit, bring in fresh new eyes and trained individuals, u see the people working in customs right now today they are the smugglers and traffickers…. Bring It Madame Commissioner! step on those high horses and toes!.

AA, You have all these ideas that already published, and you still want us to spend all our money hiring Jamaican and Trinidad advisors. So if all these ideas are already out there what we doing with them.? You looking for work for a partner?

Hey anywhere crime is a business you must get those kind of crimes what makes it worse is when you have politicians involved, for the past year watch how much politicians got charged

Springer, I support the merging of ministry of Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs. Currently, the two ministries seem not to know what each other is doing. In my mind, the ministry of national security should NEVER be headed by the prime minister – for the reason/s that he may not have the time and competence needed to effectively preside over the country’s’ national security. That ministry should be headed by someone with some sort of background and expertise in the field.

However, I will dissent on the development of a national crime strategy. This in my mind has nothing to do with the senate, but all to do with the engaging of competent individuals. There are professionals around the world with the necessary experience in that field, why not engage them. Let’s take the UK for example, every few years their crime strategies adopted by their many police forces are reworked or reviewed and in many instances, available for public viewing on their websites. Why therefore can’t we engage one of their advisors or a team of their advisors to assist us in developing such an important document. Utilization of the senate for that purpose will lack the depth and expertise needed for an effective strategy, needless to add that it might become political/ partisan.

As it relates to the publication of the pictures and other information of wanted , charged and convicted individuals, what purpose will this serve when it will be in contravention of the law and lead to the dismissal of cases against those very criminals we seek convict. Always remember that crime has to be fought and won within the parameters of the law.

Never forget that our failure to control crime in this country is partly political in nature. A blanket statement one might say. But take Vieux Fort for example, don’t you think the politicians can stop or control crime in that town whenever they decide? Yes but they won’t. These crime neighborhoods equals votes and the politicians are therefore very mindful how they trod in these areas. We see them during election campaigns seeking the support of those crime bosses all the time. And in some instances, that sort of support is actually what brings home the seat. So tell me, do you think that as a country we will get anywhere with the crime problem when faced with such hypocrisy by our leaders? Check to see which law firms represents some of the crime bosses – those headed by our very leaders who lament the crime situation. What a paradox.

I agree with you totally Mr Springer, I work in the tourist industry and in the past few weeks many have made mention to me about the crime in St Lucia and how their friends advised them not to come here etc.etc. The word is getting out and soon our vital tourist industry will suffer. St Lucia is losing her reputation and soon no one will want to touch her. Please anyone out there in power do something about this, shootings almost daily, people running scared, this is no way to live.

Finally! Someone trying to provide solutions. I appreciate this and I applaud you. I think we can also incorporate the use of technology to solve and reduce crime- drones, cctv coverage, going cashless to reduce robberies. We need immediate correction while we work to reintroduce discipline in this society.

No solution will work when you have known criminals as ministers

Nice try Irvin,but the criminals are embolden by their bosses who seat in Cabinet and have their back. All this wordplay of gun laws is just smoke which you are totally aware of. When you clean a house my brother, you remove both the roaches and the rats . Only then can you breathe again

It one thing to have ideas and another to implement them. That’s why I think he mentioned Jamaica and Trinidad. They have dealt with this level of crime for longer. Their advisors might be better suited..

Great ideas, Mr. Springer. And O, how I wish the leaders and the general populace would be noble enough to go all out to try to make your ideas work. However, although I’m not a pessimist, I’m afraid the corruption we have here in Saint Lucia is too much of a systemic malady for any significant amelioration to be made to our existing national ailment. I say this because there can be no lasting change to our corrupt system until there is a “heart change” among the people “en masse”! At best, what we can expect from such attempts to address our national sickness will amount to little more than an emotional and fleeting “stop gap” measure that will be shoved into the ditch in little time. In this corrupt and hypocritical nation, our comprehensive societal corruption has trapped us on a Catch-22 Ferris wheel — from the “big guys”, all the way through to the “small man”! Mr. Springer, as I believe you would know, this is a wholly satanic system — except for the few who are of noble character among us. As long as the “system” allows for people to profiteer from the corrupt system — from the “big guy” to the “small man” — we are simply like the proverbial dog who is frantically running in a circle trying to catch its own tail. We can only hope that the hapless dog (let’s call it “Lucie”) doesn’t run in its circle much faster than its tail that it is chasing — for then it might just run straight up into what’s located under its darn tail!

These are abnormal times. It may be the tipping point. It threatens everything from commerce, economic well-being and quality of life.
I am a strong proponent for radically changing the way we are presently fighting gun crime. My own solution is unsurprisingly close to Springer’s. For sure, no bail. Absolutely, none. Many times bail is forwarded as a loan to a defendant. Once let loose, the defendant proceeds to rearm, rob and plunder to repay that loan. Worse yet, sometimes the defendant gets out on bail and start intimidating witnesses non verbally… verbally as well. Can’t have that crap.
Let’s get tough and create deterrence. Consider it our own war on terror.

Their level of success is not very impressive.

Great stuff

……you always want to attach crime and criminality to politics…do you think these criminals are getting their instructions from politicians?? It’s not politicians sending down barrels, it’s not St Lucia politicians going to gun shows in America and buying in bulk and packing them in barrels, freezers, large Tide, and corn flakes boxes, it’s not the politicians removing the door covers and back seats off cars and hiding guns and ammo in them. You are refusing to overlook the wrongs of your own people, guns and ammo are not cheap, certain businesspeople are the players in all of this; they use their business as a cover to import guns, but I dare you to say so. A 9mm or semi-automatic with a body on it is expensive here much less a new one, so guns can be rented here, the price varies on what you want. This is Todays St Lucia, and this is how the streets are running, trust me I know; you have no idea how deep this is, all indications to you should be the sudden uptick in daily shootings because there are new players in the business, the politicians have very little to do with anything, this is ruthless BIG BUSINESS; the real players don’t live in the shanty towns, they are respectable St Lucian Citizens/Businesspeople (supposedly).

The Caricom islands need to share personnel from their police forces, all islands need to establish short term accommodation for police coming from out of state with a three month contract to be served with different police on a rotating basis. There is too much corruption due to criminals having family members or friends in the police force. By having say a 1/4 of the police force from out of state that do the patrols and investigations, this will cut down on the corruption. This is what is done in the French islands, this needs to be implemented here.

I doubt I would recommend bringing help from Trinidad or Jamaica with a track record of what they presently hold, I’d humbly opt for somewhere else. We need a major overhaul of the Justice system and as you did mention a some new systems in place in customs to examine arriving goods there. It’s a sad state of affairs all over because these issues showing up today didn’t just start these are the fruits of the seeds planted years before the trees and just beginning to bare fruits. How does anyone feel safe and welcome in a place 238 sq miles with so much crime and unsolved murders in one year its beyond comprehension and the police are ill equipped to carry on basic task as just showing up on a crime scene prepared to collect evidence to be able to preserve it for future prosecution. we simply need a major overhaul and we need it fast! May God help us all.!