Crime was again at the center of discussion during Tuesday’s opposition United Workers Party (UWP) weekly briefing.
Former Inspector with the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), Foster Chiquot, was present to give his historical account of the escalation of crime on the island, spanning his over 35-year-old career in the force, which he says began in 1989.
Chiquot refuted current claims widely discussed amongst the public on crime in Saint Lucia, including perceptions that incidents are gang-related.
The former inspector said, “To date, we have had very little success with the prosecution of gangs, because you and I both know, that while we hear what we hear on the street, of certain areas that are under the control of gangs, there is no established gang per se in Saint Lucia.”
Chiquot aimed to debunk talk of the presence of rival gangs saying, “If you speak to the average police officer, he will tell you, “Yes [they’re] hearing the names”. The “six” and the “seven.” Now I understand there is “thirteen”…but if you go around and you ask persons, well, where are the gangs? Where do they live? Where do they operate from? There is no established system of the gangs.”
The former inspector also scrutinised the prevalence of gun-related incidents in certain areas of Saint Lucia, questioning the entrance of firearms onto the island—something he believes can be curbed with the reintroduction of canine officers.
Chiquot: “Sixty percent of the homicides, according to the latest statistics, are gun related. We ask ourselves where are those guns coming from. Most scholars would tell you porous borders, because we have all the coves and inlets…so persons can come in from Martinique, Saint Vincent, and other regions. That is what is claimed. But what about our ports of entry?”
The former inspector added, “We know, that we have had incidents where we have actually recovered firearms in barrels, in containers coming into the island. Those are ports of entry. Where are the scanners, where are the canine units?”
Chiquot says before leaving the force in 2021, he recalls situations where canine units were deployed, thus hastening police operations. “I know how effective the canine unit can be in deterring crime. It saves a lot of time… because the dog would recover those firearms or drugs within minutes,” he asserted.
The former inspector says he believes Saint Lucia requires a concerted, collaborative effort across stakeholders to bring crime under control.
“There is no established gangs per se”??? – Ok, I guess we need to begin by establishing working definititions. Mr Chiquot, what do you mean by “established” and what do you mean by “gangs”?
“Sixty percent of the homicides, according to the latest statistics, are gun related.” – Over what time period? The last year, the last 10 years? Please add some clarity.
Would be good to get some stats concerning the ports of entry as well. – Any numbers on the percentage of barrels currently searched that yield contraband findings?
Canines, scanners, etc will all be very useful, I am sure. But would be good to also spend more time elaborating on this: “…Saint Lucia requires a concerted, collaborative effort across stakeholders to bring crime under control.” – Which stake holders? What should they do? How can they make a difference?
At last, an intelligent, informative article about guns and crime in Saint Lucia.
It all depends on Chiquot’s definition of a gang. If we are using a traditional description, “a group of persons associated for some criminal or other antisocial purpose” then there are gangs on the island. If we are talking about ritual ceremonies and initiation rites that formal gangs undergo, then it’s doubtful we have any gangs.
What generally happens, unorganized groupings morph into bigger threatening entities as availability of spoils increases and the need for their own security goes up. Early twentieth century history of New York gangs is required reading. Even the gangs of early twentieth century London, Birmingham and Manchester make interesting reading. There is great likelihood that local gangs will formalize, once the place improves economically and opportunities become better available.
The present approach to confronting the threat is poor. Security measures are not followed through to their final conclusion. They are done, a little bit here, a little bit there. It’s always better to complete a single task than to have several uncompleted. The former approach is great while cooking in the kitchen, definitely not for security.
If we keep on going our merry way, sometime in the future, we will wake up to a nightmare like the cases of El Salvador or Honduras. The population of El Salvador eventually traded some of their rights for personal safety. As a matter of fact, several of its neighbors, their populations want the same. There is always a price to pay for stupidity.
It always amazes me when individuals spend an entire career in a field, failed to make a difference and when they retire come forth and give advice to the nation. The new title commonly used is consultancy and consultants. What the former police officer said, I am wondering whether he worked in another island as a policeman. If then he is saying there are no established “GANGS”, he should have instead said that there are establish “BLOCKS”. It is glaring that there are so many “BLOCKS” where the daily gatherings of young unemployed men can be found. The local phrases
they use are “JUGGLING” & establishment of “MALLS” (small containers selling cigarette’s, Wrappers, etc.) exist. Go around the city and one can see these gatherings are daily where the individuals who don’t live there report at 8 am and leave latest 9 pm every single day. This is supported by individuals from one Block cannot go into another “BLOCK” or what they call “TURF”. This noticeable around the CDC areas and it is so bad that it affects residents or tenants. The daily trend of Bikers and Bikes, Mini Boom Boxes , Smoking etc. are the enhancers. To add insult many of these areas have Senior and Junior police officers living there and turning a bling eye. And it is getting worse day by day. When nationals turn to politics they have all the advice in the world to give that sometimes they better off keeping their good work reputations secret.
So Sad.
The government is not serious about crime especially about the proliferation of illegal firearms. And to support Chico’s statement on the importance of the canine unit, all metropolitan countries dispite the access to all their advance technologies they all have a canine unit. The police had a canine unit and the but it was disbanded by the present government. We must stop making crime fighting a political issue
So Mr Chiquot, there are gangs but no ‘gangs per se’, have no idea what you mean by that. Secondly, you mentioned guns coming in at ports of entry, when you were there, why couldn’t you let the people leave Customs with the barrels or whatever, follow them to their homes and then arrest them.
As usual, all the answers and solutions when out of office!
@NOT GANGS, THEN BLOCKS. October 10, 2024 At 6:08 pm
Yes this is a glaring issue. The shitty is rife with those blocks that incubate criminality. These meeting places/people need to be routinely searched by the police as nothing good happens there. They hide drugs/weapons under these little sheds all around the place. They rob people, sometimes at gunpoint. Some police fraternise with them so you know what follows.
How could there not be gangs when we have gangsters all over the place. Their organizations may not be sophisticated because of lack of resources, but they are united in their cause. They have a leader or commander and the rest are soldiers carrying out orders and getting compensated for successful missions. They have a motto. That motto is to have each other’s back. You mess with one, you mess with all. I say there are all kinds of gangs all over the place. They meet somewhere and organize missions every day. Some are small and some are large and some are more organized than others.
The story never ends! The not so Royal St Lucia Police Force, is one of the biggest gangs in St Lucia. Mr Chiquot, why didn’t you, during your time as a police officer, provide your insight into what you’ve mentioned?🤔
Only now you realise that St Lucia borders are poor? There’s no way to police or any government can secure the borders of St Lucia.
You honestly think that individuals will tell you who, or where members of a gang(s) are? The citizens of this country have no trust for the police, hence why majority won’t assist or divulge information.
All other illegal activities leads to gun related activities. Going from selling 5bags to now kilos of cocain, one must protect their investment. A cutlass was good enough back then, but now a gun is way better.
Stakeholders? Where are they to begin with? Who are they? What can they bring to the table? It is clear they aren’t getting affected by what is happening in St Lucia.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion! 😆
We do not have gang pe se in St Lucia, we have gangs and they has been well established and thieving for decades with some their most loyal enablers in the police force.
If you are not aware of this Mr. Chiquot then your 35 years of service was a complete waste of tax payers money.
If I remember correctly some time ago – 2 rival gangs where visibly engaged in fighting on the Chaussee Road. Now the new thing is everyone has his or her own truth. Nevertheless, the reality is there is only one truth and everything apart from truth is a lie. Having said that, if you believe “there is no established gang per se in Saint Lucia” and this is your truth – dream on.
—-feel free then to call them BANDITS – I rest my case as some of you in St. Lucia are living in lalaland = denial. This is 2024 – wake up wake up some of you are enablers, sweetweeeze, accomplices, partakers of ill gotten gains – to all of you who are involved in crime in whichever way rest assured your day is coming and you will reap TERRIBLY as you have already sowed EVIL.
Trust me KARMA knows your name, all your evil deeds as well as your address, your accomplices name, your sweetweeze name, your family who know and encourage your evil deeds, all who partake of the stolen goods and funds and continue to refer to you as “good boy, good girl” – Rest assured Vengeance is coming your way for sure.
St. Lucian English is by far complex as compared to others. What the man is saying established gangs, he means that there is no place on island you can point out and say this place is 6, this place is 7. Fellas connote their association to establish gangs overseas learning about it via social media. So, for the associates that are here have no bearing to those they wanted themselves to be indemnified as. What is very contrasting is that not today we are knowledgeable of porous borders. We have enough hills that can view our borders, WW1 and WW2 spells that out, this just show how our intellect is. Putting surface radar is an easy option but will some politicians and lawyers like it? oh hell NO!
He knows nothing The La Clarey Boys has been at it for years…I for9 the other one over by Grass street and the one that runs Jeramie Street for years that control the Southern Bus Stops and La Clarey boys control the North. The one from Grass Street the market is their turf. These people are so out of touch.