Two Saint Lucia police officers are in Martinique for training in French military techniques.
Local reports say the two will be on the neighbouring French Caribbean Island until Friday, when they would have completed the two-week course.
The visit to Martinique forms part of the anti-crime cooperation with Saint Lucia.
Both countries are battling drug trafficking and a spike in gun violence.
According to Martinique 1 Ere, over the two weeks of intensive training, the Saint Lucian officers will undergo physical tests.
They will also engage in firearm exercises, receive training in handcuffing suspects without endangering themselves and learn techniques to control armed or unarmed individuals.
Saint Lucia and Martinique have established joint law enforcement patrols as part of their anti-crime collaboration.
They have also agreed to establish legal frameworks to advance judicial cooperation amid a violent crime surge, mainly involving firearm use, in both countries.
Law enforcers on the neighbouring Islands are concerned about the cross-border trade in illegal guns and drugs, which they say contributes to violent crimes.
In December 2022, Pierre visited Martinique for the eighth session of the Franco-Saint Lucia Joint Security Commission.
And in late January, General William Vaquette, Commander of the Martinique Gendarmerie, visited Saint Lucia as part of a delegation to talk with local officials about advancing anti-crime collaboration.
Please train them in communication skills as well cause a lot of them don’t know to approach people or know which type of persons that need to be approached in certain ways
A start in the right direction – we need all the skill sets we can get when it comes to policing. As it stands right now, our men and women in uniform have skills which are not required to do their police work.
I would also recommend the police get trained in evidence collection, experts in technology (Various technology), questioning techniques, forensic expertise etc.
Can we get experts from the first world countries to co-exist with our men and women in uniform. Individuals with special skill sets which are required to make them more effective when it comes to policing.
Train DEM to stay away from bribe…… that’s the reason we have that crime problem today .
The way things are going, it seems the local lawnen may need to be sent to Ukraine for training exercises that can equip then to root out the army of criminals who are destroying Saint Lucia!
My God what a mess