After a deadly gun violence upsurge in Vieux Fort, resulting in seven murders in the community in separate incidents, a senior cop told reporters on Monday that residents are pleased with the police response.
“Residents are very pleased,” Deputy Police Commissioner Ronald Phillip said regarding the police operations in Vieux Fort.
“They are very happy with what they are seeing. We have intensified our efforts. We have intensified patrols. We have engaged in more searches. So far the operations are going on smoothly,” Phillip stated.
Vieux Fort South is now an escalated crime zone under legislation giving police expanded powers to deal with criminal activity.
The Deputy Police Commissioner said the police were happy with the legislation.
“It is important to note that the legislation speaks to good faith, so once police officers are operating in good faith, it gives them more search powers. In terms of the arrests, how long somebody can be detained for, so these things are good for law enforcement,” Phillip explained.
Responding to human rights concerns over the expanded police powers, the senior cop asserted that the RSLPF is a professional organisation that, in briefing officers, highlights respect for the rights of others.
He told reporters that acting in good faith, as in the escalated crime area legislation, officers must uphold the values of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), which speak to professionalism.
“If persons have any complaints or think their rights are being trampled on, there are mechanisms in place. There’s the Police Complaints Unit. If you figure that the police officer did something wrong, you can take your grievances to a lawyer,” Phillip, responsible for Strategic Operations, noted.
In addition, he pointed out that the police were not out to antagonise anyone.
Regional Security System (RSS) troops have joined Saint Lucia police in joint operations in Vieux Fort.
And there have been several arrests for drugs and firearm and ammunition possession.
Police have also charged 22-year-old Arenato Soumere of Martin Luther King Street, Vieux Fort, with the fatal shooting of 59-year-old Loraine Savery on March 9.
In addition, investigators say they are pursuing several leads regarding the other fatal shootings.
Headline photo: Police in Vieux Fort (Image courtesy Royal Saint Lucia Police Force)
Again another report talking about 7 murders in Vieux fort. Would someone please let us know what became of the young lady who was gunned down by republic Bank on the Friday evening. Did she survive? Or are the authorities hiding something.
Vieux Fort seems a little safer now but when people are still being arrested with firearms and ammunition on the public roads, it makes one wonder whether we are remotely safe.
@Rest my case….pay chu…” Oh VF is a little safer now”….it’s much safer than up north fool. You all can keep your wishy washy cosmopolitan lifestyle up there we are good down here. If needed we jump in our transport come take it in and come back to the gated community of VF with a cop on every corner……even by the de genge you have police hiding you must come and visit the safest town in St Lucia while it last. V-Fortians love their sleepy fishing village lifestyle we are good thank you PM Pierre you delivered AGAIN. Can you imagine if this had occurred during the years of the plague of yellow jaundice Bojay all now so we would have been worst off than Ukraine.
Why is the police gloating? There is nothing to celebrate as Vieux Fort is a time bomb waiting to explode. Traditional police operations in the town will do nothing to avert what is to come. The criminals have just gone aground and are waiting to strike again. Reprisals reprisals reprisals it will be once more , only this time to avenge the deaths of the mother and fathers recently killed. So Vieux Fortians brace chew’ because unless the police address the problem at its root, or unless they are miracle workers, the streets of this town will once again be controlled by the criminals.
Why gloat when you seize two firearms out of over two thousand collectively in the hands of the “gangs”. Why gloat when there are still AK 47s, M4s, grenades and all makes of small caliber handguns on the streets. Hope you get my drift – you have done nothing to solve the problems in the town. You have only scratched the surface so get your lazy arses back to work and get those guns off the streets.
By the way we tired of them RSS officers coming here to do nothing! Sweet F A. So tell your thin skinned PM to increase the size of your SSU to about 300 and send 100 out of that number to Vieux Fort. This will be a good start to keeping us safe and end his dependency on RSS.
My goodness with this clown, Lucian Whatever. Must you be so red-eyed that you go against every comment that says that all is not well under this administration. I leave in the heart of Vieux Fort and the only thing that is of comfort is that covid lockdowns prepared us well. By 7:00pm everyone is indoors. You hear the occasional passing vehicle that if you are awake you can count on your fingers of one hand. I’m sure that guy who was arrested on Saturday night may have been the only person walking the streets, hence he was targeted. The fact that he had these things on him really indicates that we are truly not safe.
@Time will tell ….that right I was redder than Red this past weekend I took a early morning sulphur bath have a roast by the beach with a member of the RSS looking on and smiling (you’ll don’t have that) it was great like most V-Fortians out enjoying the Sunday afternoon and by 7 everyone at their home relaxing like me smoking Highgrade drinking Brown juice watching the foreign press and having a dialogue with the Rasses on world affairs. We are pleased with this government things are not perfect but the PM is trying. Yes did you see how quick they held that fellow that should give you an indication of how VF is running now. Where are all the bad boys ?? Most flee and went up North or Martinique is the word on the street so enjoy.