A senior police officer commenting on a recent viral incident at Hospital Road Castries where some residents confronted the police, has commended the officers’ restraint while assuring the public that the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) will press on.
“I just want to commend the officers and tell them they should never retreat and to assure the public that there will never be a no-go zone for any police officer in Saint Lucia,” Deputy Police Commissioner (DCP) Ronald Phillip said this week.
Phillip was Shannon Lebourne’s guest on the Hot 7 Television show Good Morning Saint Lucia.
He observed that the Hospital Road incident could have easily escalated.
However, the senior cop observed that no one was hurt.
Since the Hospital Road disturbance, Donnie Jordon Charlemagne appeared in court charged with resisting arrest, two counts of assault, property damage, and using obscene language.
The court granted bail with reporting conditions.
DCP Phillip explained that in executing their lawful duties, the police could ‘match force with force.’
He assured police officers that the RSLPF executive would stand with them once they act professionally and legally.
“That is not an excuse for errant or deviant behaviour,” Phillip warned.
At the same time, he observed that if people have an issue with how the police act, they can take their grievances to the Police Complaints Commission.
But he warned that the police would not tolerate people taking the law into their own hands or assaulting officers.
“I do not want any officer to tolerate any form of disrespect or any form of abuse,” Phillip declared.
“We have also spoken with the policy makers – the powers that be, and they have assured us that they are going to support the police, continuously support the police. All they have asked is that we remain professional and we do not engage in deviant behaviour,” he told Good Morning Saint Lucia.
In addition, he urged law-abiding citizens, civil society, and human rights individuals to speak out against lawless behaviour.
“This is not just a policing issue. If you have a situation where citizens are turning against your police officers, you bet they will turn against you at some point,” Philip asserted.
As a result, he observed that society has to be very careful regarding what it accepts and condones.
Bravo to the officers for not using excessive force, even if they were justified to. Some people want to behave like pigs and cry out police brutality when they are treated as such.
Offcourse there is a no go zone for police officers when they cannot go business places like Quarts and Cap Estate.
The lodge men are allowed to park for hours in handicap spots or by the same roads they issue tickets to people that do the same, never ever question them about their duties they are above you in all ways possible.
So why is in the ghetto only they does go and bother poor uneducated people why not go cap estate where there is heroine ,opium , cocaine , morphine and hashish…and money laundering who exploit the people with low wages that take them nowhere in life
Well said mr Phillip , we hope these words a genuine. Fight these criminals!.
This can only happen in St. Lucia ..civilians interfering with police officers during the course of carrying out their duties. Try that nonsense in any other country ….??????
Better yet…most of you uncivilized characters can only reside in St. Lucia ….for sure….so do yourself a favor and stay there with the ongoing nonsense.
@Jay what others countries, I’ve seen that happen all over the Caribbean and in “bigger” countries as well, the police just knew where they stand.
“The race is not swift
or the battle too strong…
Honesty comes first, with descipline crops which produces good harvest…
Then joy will accompany you in your work all of days and your skill will bring success ….
Be of good courage !
A King’s Word is supprime !!!