With the crime scourge showing no abatement, some are starting to question the methods employed by the Royal St Lucia Police Force and the island’s policy makers. One such person is retired Lieutenant Colonel Elwin St Rose of the United States Air Force. St Rose is a St Lucian native who holds dual masters in public administration and criminal justice from the University of Florida. In an appearance on Newsmaker Live with Timothy Poleon, the colonel opined on the island’s crime fighting performance. St Rose has sighted the lack of a multi-facetted crime intervention strategy, geared at reducing unlawful activity as the reason the crime scourge continues to escalate.
According to St Rose, policy makers should not shy away from letting criminal elements know exactly what the country’s law enforcement policy is. He believes this will put persons involved in illicit practices on notice that their actions will attract swift consequences. Implementing a multi-dimensional crime strategy which encompasses, law enforcement, the judiciary and policy makers, St Rose explains, will improve efficiency in crime prevention.
He also believes that police officers need to be properly vetted, before allowing them entry into the service. Not only must they meet physical requirements, but they must exhibit the proper psychological attributes. Pay is another area where the colonel believes improvements need to be made. In his opinion, if officers are not compensated attractively, it leaves room for their integrity to be compromised. Police officers, he believes should be “well centered individuals, committed to the cause of justice”.
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