Police on Thursday provided an update on the gun amnesty that ran for seven days during the last two weeks of January.
Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for the Central Division, Luke Defreitas, revealed that “no guns were turned in,” but the force does not view this as a failure.
“The amnesty acted as a diagnostic tool for our community. The fact that the bins remain empty tells us something vital. It tells us that the deliberate choice of the criminal elements to remain illegally armed far outweighs the fear of prosecution, and that the illegal market is tighter than we estimated,” the Assistant Commissioner said.
He went on to describe the amnesty as a “final clear crossroad” to legality, which persons chose not to take, and said the force will now adopt a zero-tolerance approach regarding illegal firearms and ammunition.
“Those who chose to keep the illegal firearms did so with full knowledge of the path they were taking. You have made your choice. Now the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force will make ours,” Defreitas warned.
So far this year, the RSLPF has seized 16 illegal weapons, 10 after the amnesty. There have been 18 homicides, 60 per cent involving guns, with nine solved.
“To those still holding illegal weapons, put them down now or prepare to face the full unyielding force of the state. We will no longer ask, we will act.”
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The authorities are too lenient with the thugs/gang bangers/Malvetaayes in St. Lucia. What needs to happen — set the bail(s) in excess of 1 million dollars for these good for nothing offenders whose heart is set on destruction and use the funds to fix the potholes as well as other areas which are in dire need of repair.
We all have choices and poverty is no excuse for crime – please do research on some of the poorest places in the world where there is minimal crime because the laws are extremely strict.
Some of these fools in St. Lucia both men and women have kids with Tom. DIck and Harry, Jane, Shananaa and Mary which by the way they certainly cannot afford – for most of them were allergic to school/ignorant. In the meantime they want to live like the Jones’ and envy everyone else who have decided to earn an honest living by working and living right. In addition, for some strange idiotic reason feel they should reap where they did not sow – by committing crimes against others…its a crying shame. Please remember KARMA knows everyone’s address for surely we reap what we sow.