Castries, Saint Lucia — With six homicides recorded in just over a week, Acting Prime Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire and Minister for Crime Prevention Jeremiah Norbert have moved to reassure Saint Lucians that the government will leave “no stone unturned” in the fight against violent crime.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, Dr. Hilaire, standing in for Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre who is on short vacation leave, expressed condolences to families affected by the recent wave of killings. He acknowledged the trauma and fear gripping communities but stressed that the fight against crime must be a collective, national effort.
“The fight against crime is a national endeavor. It requires every single citizen to participate in it,” Dr. Hilaire said. “We have given the police all the resources they have requested — manpower, legislation, equipment — and we will continue to do so. But Saint Lucians too must support the police in their operations and stop shielding criminals.”
Dr. Hilaire emphasized that the government is prepared to enact stronger laws and provide additional policy and logistical support if requested by the police. He praised recent successes in the recovery of illegal firearms and ammunition but insisted that more aggressive enforcement is needed.
Meanwhile, Minister for Crime Prevention Jeremiah Norbert, himself a former police officer, delivered a stern warning to both criminals and those who harbor them.
“This government will stop at absolutely nothing to ensure that this scourge comes to a halt,” Norbert declared. “If you aid, abet, or benefit from the proceeds of crime — whether as a family member, friend, or institution — you too will face the full brunt of the law.”
Norbert noted that despite widespread claims of unemployment driving crime, jobs and training opportunities are available, including through the TVET Institute and private sector investments. He dismissed excuses of “society failing young men,” pointing instead to the lure of fast money from organized gun and drug trafficking.
He also highlighted government’s investments in port security, scanners, polygraph testing for recruits, and international cooperation with CARICOM and partner agencies to curb the influx of firearms onto the island.
Both ministers acknowledged public concerns about witness safety. Norbert confirmed that provisions exist within the police vote for witness protection and that some individuals have already been relocated abroad. However, he admitted that Saint Lucia’s small size and cultural reluctance to cooperate with police pose serious challenges.
The Acting Prime Minister rejected suggestions that the administration lacks political will or is “soft on crime.”
“Tell me what we have refused to give the police. Tell me what law we have refused to pass,” Dr. Hilaire said. “Our record is clear: whenever the police ask, we deliver. What we are now asking in return is intensified action to take back our communities.”
Both officials urged Saint Lucians to stop obstructing police operations, to provide information through official channels such as the crime hotline or app, and to resist being swayed by misinformation on social media.
