Chamber & Police Discuss Crime
18 August 2021
In seeking to combat the recent crime wave that has affected business establishments islandwide, the St Lucia Chamber of Commerce has sought discussions with the local police to sort out the matter.
Consequently, the Chamber Law and Order Committee convened an urgent meeting with the Royal St. Lucia Police Force [RSLPF] to discuss the recent spate of armed robberies.
The chamber had earlier called for increased police presence in the city and its environs and recommended some specific actions by businesses to safeguard their employees and customers.
Executive Director of the St Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Brian Louisy, said the meeting was fruitful and ideas were proposed to help deal with the situation.
“One of the main things coming out was a commitment from the police force to conduct training for employees so that they could better handle situations, and so be a little more conscious of crime and more pro-active to avoid some incidents,” Louisy told reporters.
He said the matter also involved devising strategies that the business community can use so that they themselves can more effectively protect themselves, as well as work with the police in this effort.”
Louisy said the chamber is currently working on several other initiatives geared to address members concerns. “ Training for chamber members …so they will be in a position to provide psycho-social support when there is a crisis, be it crime related, natural disasters or what have you,” he disclosed.
Subsequently, the chamber plans to hold another important meeting, this time with the health authorities concerning the rapid increase in Covid-19 cases.
Prior to this latter meeting, Chair of the Chamber Law and Order Committee Irvin Springer said, “The Law and Order Committee will in the near future bring together the chief security officers of chamber member companies to share best practices and to see how they can work closer together and with the Police to combat this scourge.”
Springer added: “We intend in short order to mount a campaign for members of the business community to support the CCTV surveillance agenda of the RSLPF to broaden the scope of coverage now provided by cameras in Castries and the rest of the country.”
Meanwhile as the business community and police seek collaborative measures to deal with this most worrisome situation, bandits were again at it on Tuesday. Reports state that the attempt by two bandits to rob at Dr. Freezers on High Street, Castries was foiled by the quick work of a security officer from a nearby business house.
Eye witnesses report that the masked bandits entered the fast food restaurant and ice cream parlour when an alert security guard at another business establishment, recognising that something was amiss, discharged several firearm rounds.
It is further reported that upon hearing the sounds of gun fire, the two bandits fled empty handed.
Just last month, bandits robbed the same business place, fleeing with cash.
Manager Darren James told reporters that at the time that the two robbers were wearing masks. One of them brandishing a firearm, entered the business establishment and held up two employees while demanding cash.