Former Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony has called for urgent police reform to ensure officers intervene early in civil disputes before they escalate into deadly confrontations.
Speaking on Radio 100’s ‘What Makes You Mad’ on Monday, Dr Anthony noted that many violent crimes, including homicide, stem from civil disputes that escalate due to a lack of early intervention.
“There are so many deaths that have occurred in this country having the origin in those civil disputes,” he said, suggesting that police officers need retraining to recognise and de-escalate these situations before they “deteriorate and bring people in conflict and cause harm to each other”.
“I don’t think the reaction of the police should be ‘this is not for us, we’re not analysts; this is not a criminal matter. We only handle criminal matters’,” Dr Anthony added.
He said that instead of dismissing civil disputes as outside their jurisdiction, police should engage with communities, keep records of and monitor ongoing conflicts, and offer guidance to prevent escalation
“The police have to update their record-keeping…. They should keep a record of those individuals in their communities who are reporting these disputes,” the former PM recommended.
He suggested that officers should maintain a visible presence in communities, regularly checking in on those involved in conflicts and ensuring that disagreements do not turn violent. While he acknowledged that police are “not social workers,” he insisted that they are “caretakers of the law” and must take responsibility for maintaining peace.
During his radio appearance, Dr Anthony also recalled past violence in Vieux Fort, where gang conflicts resulted in innocent people being targeted.
“What occurred in Vieux Fort was a microcosm,” the Vieux Fort South MP noted. “It was not just gang warfare…. It is an issue of targeting parents of gang members and even offsprings. Innocence was completely compromised.”
He further pointed out that in many communities, gangs provide financial support, which leads to the protection and perpetuation of their activities.
“Once gangs are rooted and fully established, they become a way of life,” Dr Anthony warned.
He acknowledged that the government has been actively seeking new approaches to combat crime, including considering the designation of “escalated crime zones,” a strategy used in countries like Jamaica and Trinidad.
Despite the challenges, Dr Anthony remains optimistic, citing the revival of community engagement in Vieux Fort during the last Christmas season as a sign of progress. “It shows that the community is slowly returning to normal,” he said.
Lazy police officers will tell you “there is nothing much the police can do about civil disputes” Meanwhile, they sit streaming movies on illegal movie sites and refuse to take reports. The reports they claim to make go missing. They claim they have “no vehicle” to come to a scene. Some only want to be involved in cases that they have a personal stake in – a clear conflict of interest. Verne Garde has yet to perform an audit of the stations or walk the streets to find out from citizens what is happening at the police stations. Many police officers don’t need retraining… They need to be fired and replaced by honorable men and women who are willing to do the job.
What did you do about it when you were at the helm. Smh
@Porpot Kweyol . Spot on. Only in St. Lucia will someone agree to take on a job knowing the terms and conditions before accepting, then complain they not getting paid enough as an excuse to not perform on the job.
Then we have hacks like Kat saying: “What did you do about it when you were at the helm. Smh”
Obviously he is not at the helm right now and it is a problem that must be solved by those currently at the helm.
We are doomed as a country because people like kat have a say in who gets to run the show.
While you make some valid points in the article. I am certain that a lack of education, ignorance and lacking in conflict resolution skills, issues with anger management and I could list several others. These are some of the areas which are ongoing in St. Lucia.
There are certain habits where one has to realize within themselves that what they are doing is wrong and so only you can look deep within yourself and address your wrong doing by yourself. You can bring a horse to the water, but you cannot make it drink says the proverb and that is true.
Also, there is envy, jealousy, voodoo, obeah and the list goes on. I currently reside abroad and I remember very well growing up in a one bedroom with several siblings. Living in a consolidated household with our mother and grandmother we were taught values and we paid attention – respect others, make sure to go to school and learn, do not envy anyone.
I must state that we all took heed to the advice and everyone has gone on to make significant contributions to society. It starts in the home and I don’t think outsiders can fix the damage which was already created in the home. However, if an individual desires to change himself/herself then all hope is certainly not lost.
The ability to change/regroup/refocus/redirect certainly lies within us. In addition KARMA, JUSTICE or whatever you choose to call it – knows everyone’s address; THEREFORE everyone will reap as they have sowed whether it be GOOD OR EVIL – whatever it is — it’s coming your way for sure. Amen
Thank you, @Kat . Also, what has he done for Vieux Fort in terms of positive development? If the international airport were not situated there, no one would even recognize this place
Well said your most Honorable you have echoed what I have been saying “police officers are not social workers “ they can’t monitor your social life and general household. Some of these officers are indeed need to be retain in conflict resolution. Many of our men needs psychological evaluation and mental counseling in order to prevent some of the horrific crimes the nation has experienced over the last few weeks. St. Lucian men has this inherited macho mindset that all conflicts resolution can only be settled thru violence, there is a great need for anger management and domestic resolve services for our men in particular, instead of thru the local neighborhood bar narrated by the village idiot. Their compulsive aggressive obsession against women are repugnant and repulsive. We can always count likes of Boneless and Katchet to stick a pin whenever his Honorable speaks…. VF will always be that sleepy fishing village of which the rest of St Lucia can never ever do without, airport or no airport. I look at it this way if VF was as cosmopolitan as the North our crime rate would have been doubled. 90 percent of St Lucia’s daily “Ills” are based in the North not the South. I still believe in annexation, then we would see who needs who. I believe VF would end up been just fine.