Minister for Crime Prevention and former police officer Jeremiah Norbert is urging members of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force to embrace their role as the nation’s gatekeepers of law and order.
“This is not an easy time to be a police officer,” he said, highlighting the growing boldness of criminals who, in his words, “have lost all regard for life itself.” Norbert stressed that while government continues to provide tangible support to the Force, officers must uphold their duty to protect and serve with professionalism and within the law. “We will defend you when you work. But we also need you to work,” he emphasized.
Norbert drew on his decade-long career in the police service to underscore his understanding of the challenges faced by officers. He recalled working under conditions of scarce resources, limited equipment, and strained mobility, circumstances he said reinforced his commitment to ensuring that today’s officers are better equipped.
Norbert also warned criminal elements, stating, “If you think you can commit crimes with impunity, think again. This government will do everything, and I mean everything, to find you and to deal with you.” He pointed to Parliament’s recent passage of the CARICOM Arrest Warrant Treaty as a signal that criminals will no longer find safe haven across regional borders.
The government minister praised Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre for consistently investing in the security sector, from the construction of new police facilities to the conclusion of negotiations on officers’ terms and conditions. He also challenged the Force to better manage its resources, noting with concern the number of idle police vehicles he had observed recently.
Norbert appealed to both officers and citizens to view safety as a shared responsibility. “Saint Lucia depends on you. Saint Lucia needs you,” he told the police, while urging the public to play their part in building a safer nation “not just for us today, but for generations to come.”
