Police Welfare Association (PWA) President Camron Laure, highlighting the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) resource needs, disclosed that officers share bulletproof vests.
“You have police officers today still sharing a bulletproof vest. You know, that you come to work, you are being given a bulletproof vest to perform your duties. You drop it back at the end of your tour and the tour that’s coming in uses that very same vest,” Laure explained.
He described the situation as unacceptable.
In this regard, Laure emphasized the need for every officer to receive personal protective equipment.
He explained that the job was dangerous and the risks were higher.
The PWA President spoke Wednesday night during the DBS Television programme, Newsmaker Live.
He acknowledged awareness of the government’s assertion that it had provided unprecedented vehicles and equipment to the RSLPF.
However, he declared that the vehicles and equipment were replacements.
The PWA President disclosed that he had yet to see a significant equipment presentation to the RSLPF since the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
” Since that time, it has been replacing. So we have not had any significant increase in terms of vehicles and equipment needed,” Laure told Newsmaker Live.
He said it would be interesting to know what the RSLPF leadership requests from the government.
“Are they requesting adequate vests? Are they saying that we only need thirty vehicles because we have thirty vehicles that we need to decommission, or are they saying really and truly we need 60 to seventy new vehicles in addition to what is going to be decommissioned?”
The PWA President recalled hearing a government minister assert that most of the time, the police receive what they request.
“So you have to ask yourself, does the leadership of the police force have the best interests of the men and women who serve on the ground?” Laure asked.
He revealed that morale in the RSLPF was ‘mixed’, explaining that officers essentially want to work.
“They want to make a difference in what is happening in our country, but they also speak of how are they going to get that done – the lack of equipment,” the PWA official stated.
Nevertheless, Laure commended the officers who risked their lives and their families’ lives in performing their duties.
He spoke amid a deadly crime surge that as of Wednesday, had resulted in 30 homicides, mostly due to gun-violence.
Police officers Should have gone on a Sick out .
I don’t see an issue with I having to give up the vest after your shift. I don’t see off duty police officers enforcing any laws. In fact they turn a blind eye to all the lawbreaking to protect themselves. Why should they be given equipment when not working?
idi…if they do that the public finish
I do not see an issue in sharing the Vest. It would have been an issue if the officer shows up and there is no vest to be used. It is like a vehicle. After your shift, you give up the vehicle. Last night the PWA president also said, there is nothing added to the Police inventory. The vehicles that Pierre blew his horn about were merely replacement vehicles. The original vehicles retired and he replaced them. This could be a recipe for more disaster. Nothing really changed for them while the expectation of the public remains very high.
Sharing bullet proof vest is not hygenic first of all, secondly it defeats the purpose to begin with. Are we saying an officer cannot be attacked on their way home. Dont they inspect officers kit, so if a vest is assigned to an officer shouldnt he account for it of asked to do so… security guards have vests going an their home with.
A bullet proof vest falls under the Protective Personal Equipment – why then are you sharing items which are considered PPE – you folk in St. Lucia in 2024 are really not adhering to proper protocol.
The staff in your government offices and NGOs are lacking in customer interactive skills as well as professionalism. I have been trying to reach the Birth Certificate office since February. I have called every single day and no one has answered the phone. I have emailed the Prime Minister’s office and the emails bounced back. I have heard from folk in the diaspora who are literally fed up.
Find out from your commanding officer if the force will permit officers to buy their your own vest and the government will refund the purchase. I don’t think the answer will be no.
So much for Pierre blowing his tooters about giving the police the tools they need. The madness that exists in our society shows you how backward the entire system is. Who in government thinks that it’s ok for police officers to share bullet proof vests? Pure mediocrity from government. A bunch of clueless and useless idiots. Which alternate universe these incompetent clowns inhabit? For a country that produced 2 Nobel Laureates these spoofs exhibit an extreme case of skulls without brains …..
I agree the crime situation on the island is not totally the fault of the government however i don’t understand why they are unable to provide the officers with a simple tool like this???
And yes i will have to agree with @Concerned citizen Sharing a bullet proof vest is not hygienic
Listen to how this “Clown “ speaks He acknowledged awareness of the government “assertion” that it had provided unprecedented vehicles and equipment to the RSLPF. However, he declared that vehicles and equipment were replacements, so in earnest what he is saying this government has “merely ” contributed to the purchasing of vehicles and equipment to do the job of policing,……that’s a rhetorical and two face statement to make when you personally have lauded the PM for investing and equipping RSLPF in the past. Police not having all they need dates back to the Stone Age, this is an everyday cry, we are not a first world country with massive resources to fill every nitty gritty of every officer but I believe and we have all seen where the PM has made purchases of vehicles and equipments, refurbished police stations, and settled pay disputes more than any of his predecessor. Knowing the PM I am quite sure he has herd your “whining” and this issue will be resolved to the best of his ability.
Bullet proof vests also have expiration dates as well!
Laure for Prime Minister!! Ìf Pip can mislead a country he has to be misleading me. It’s over!
I keep on looking for the equipment, There’s a difference in replacing and adding to what’s there. I will not blame the government but the hiracy of the police force. It is not hygienic sharing a vest. A bullet proof vest is one that will cause one to get really hot and sweat. Hiracy now more is more concerned about protecting their ranks and positions. So they sit quietly and say or do nun till it’s time to retire.
The Allen Chastanet government borrowed 863 million dollars, had they assist the police today things would have not been so bad.
The police complaining about the bullet proof vest, do they want a vehicle each?