Sending a message warning friends about a police roadblock might seem harmless, but police say the same alert could help someone with an illegal firearm or other contraband avoid getting caught.
The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force is cautioning members of WhatsApp and other social media groups against sharing the locations of police operations. The force warns that no one can know who may receive the information or how it could be used.
The warning came from Assistant Superintendent Terry Bradley, the new Commander of the Special Services Unit (SSU), during a police press conference on Thursday.
Bradley acknowledged that people sharing “roadblock” alerts might not mean any harm. In some cases, he said, someone may simply want to help a friend or another motorist avoid getting a traffic ticket.
But the consequences, he warned, could be much more serious.
He explained that someone carrying an illegal firearm or other contraband could receive the alert and change their route, abandon a vehicle, dispose of the weapon or otherwise avoid coming into contact with police.
That weapon, Bradley warned, could later be used to commit a serious crime.
“So what may appear to be a harmless message by just saying the police are at a location can be a potential interference with a lawful police activity,” he said.
Bradley therefore appealed to the public to refrain from sharing the locations of officers conducting traffic checks and other police operations.
His message formed part of a wider warning as he takes command of the SSU. Bradley assured the public that the unit is committed to helping the police force fight crime and made it clear that people wanted by police will be pursued.
“We will not surrender our country to you. We will not surrender our communities to you,” he told criminals.
“If you commit a crime, you should expect the police to investigate that crime. If you are wanted, we will look for you. If you are found, you will be dealt with through the law and the justice system.”
Some of the idiots in St. Lucia need serious counselors With all the guns and crime on island don’t they understand that the life they save may be their own or that of a family member. Let the police do the work with the road blocks for the benefit of all citizens and take care of all motorist with infractions and all the malveetayes with bad mind and evil 😈 intentions….smh
People alerting one another when police officers are conducting traffic controls should come as no surprise. However, these operations should not be conducted only once in a while; law enforcement needs to maintain a permanent, rotating presence on our roads in different locations. The objective shouldn’t just be to search for illegal firearms or contraband it should involve a comprehensive checklist covering every single detail. For instance, there are far too many vehicles operating with broken brake lights, faulty turn signals, or headlights where only one side is working on dim, just to name a few examples.
Mr. Bradley, you are right on target. I will not tell the police how to do their work, because they have an Intel department. They should not stay in one particular area for more than 45 minutes. They should rotate and move along swiftly. Don’t forget to give China town in Marigot a good shake up. Too many firearms there.
You pulling me over in a road block to search my vehicle because i look suspicious or you believe am carrying an illegal firearm or drugs is discrimination. If am getting search then every vehicle at that checkpoint should get searched. Roadblocks should be used mainly for vehicles which are unsafe, uninsured, drivers without licenses, driving under the influence etc. stop using roadblocks to intimidate citizens
@ABC: discrimination?! Then how do you rationalize the success of seizures during such stops then? I could possibly agree with you if we have an understanding of the process in which vehicles are stopped however making that process known will prevent what the objective of such stops are designed to do. To find drivers which are unsafe, uninsured, or drivers without licenses, driving under the influence, includes stopping vehicles. Don’t see it as discrimination but as your contribution to the bigger picture.