General William Vaquette, Commander of the Martinique Gendarmerie, arrived in Saint Lucia on Friday as part of a delegation to talk with local officials about advancing existing anti-crime collaboration.
The Gendarmerie Commander and his delegation brought 100 kilos of material for Saint Lucia’s Forensic Laboratory. In addition, they promised to share expertise and provide training to local law enforcement officials.
The training would include using drones in the fight against criminal activity.
The anti-crime collaboration between Saint Lucia and Martinique would also include joint maritime patrols.
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre welcomed the Martinique law-enforcement delegation.
And he noted the proximity of the French Caribbean Island, describing it as good for tourism.
But Pierre, responsible for National Security, also indicated that criminals would take advantage of the closeness of the two neighbouring Islands.
“Martinique is a gateway to Europe, so we have to protect our borders, and we have to ensure that criminality doesn’t thrive,” the Saint Lucia Prime Minister stated.
“We need to work together. We need to collaborate,” the Castries East MP declared.
Pierre visited Martinique in December last year for the eighth session of the Franco-Saint Lucia Joint Security Commission.
The session agreed to establish legal frameworks to advance judicial cooperation amid a violent crime surge, mainly involving firearm use, in Saint Lucia and Martinique.
Law enforcers in both neighbouring Islands are concerned about the trade in illegal guns and drugs between their countries, which they say contributes to gun crimes.
Gwan Pierre…….do what you can and just ignore the critics (they know themselves); you have done more than any other Minister of National Security of yesteryear.