Loading ...
Castries has two parts, the one you see and the one you ignore!
Most Lucians would never have imagined that the violence erupting spasmodically in their capital, C-Town, would ever have been possible there. To them the crime and recrimination that have defined the city this year seems more like something out of the West Bank of Palestine than the west coast of St Lucia. Of course, Castries gangs have been paying tribute to Arab terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah for years, in graffiti and in the renaming of their neighbourhoods.
Emotional reactions have prevented most people from taking an objective look at the facts which contribute to the violence. But a special panel of senior police, bad boys and social development experts have been talking to the STAR over the past few weeks and have helped to compile this list of things that everyone should know when debating the issue of gun violence and drug gangs. Here’s the summary.
• Castries is the only capital in the Caribbean which is entirely surrounded by ghettoes. Even in Kingston, the ghettoes exist in pockets, which are garrisoned—almost surrounded by the rest of the city. In Castries, the ghettoes garrison the city rather than the other way around.
• Castries is really two cities—the one you can see within the perimeters of the Bananes Bay road, Brazil Street, Chaussee Road and the Darling. Just one street beyond that lies another Castries, where mis-education and social sickness swirl in sweltering pot of poverty.
• Sir John Compton once proposed a plan for redeveloping the waterfront and the city center of Castries which would have required the relocation of many people who live in Castries Central. In the place of the newest CDC apartment buildings, there should have been a major bus depot, easing traffic congestion and making it easier to provide security for transport drivers. Sir John was stopped by his trusted deputy Sir George Mallet who opined succinctly, “John, bus stations don’t vote.”
• Politicians need the urban mess that is Castries Central constituency in spite of the fact that politically it is a farce and a very expensive problem in the short, mid and long term. Politicians spend more on voters in Castries Central than they spend on any other constituency. Every apartment in Castries Central represents a loss in potential property taxes to the Castries City Council. But without the voters of the smallest seat in Parliament, Sir George Mallet, Dr Vaughan Lewis, Sarah Flood-Beaubrun and Mr Richard Frederick would not be part of St Lucia’s political history. Even the late great George Odlum would have a slightly different history.
• Most small time drug pushers would prefer to have an honest job. It’s true. Say whatever you like about the STEP program, when it was first launched, half the small-time drug dealers in Castries could not be found on the block in prime-time daylight. They preferred to have a small but solid, paycheck every month rather than take the chance of making $500 a day in Ganja Alley.
• Drugs cannot be eliminated but they can be contained. Any war on drugs that aims to eradicate drugs is a joke, a charade meant to play out politically, not strategically.
• Alcohol is a prime promoter of violence. If drugs are the drivers of violence and guns are the engine, then alcohol, most often, is the gas of a violent crime.
• Gun and drug related violence are social ills with economic effects and cannot truly be cured by enforcement. Enforcement happens after the fact—after the drugs and guns land, after the deal is made, after the shooting, after the deaths. The only thing that comes after enforcement is a bunch of liability—courts, lawyers, judges, prisons and a bunch of other stuff which, frankly speaking, the less we have of them the better.
• Police chase criminals. That’s what they do. It is mostly illegal for them harass people who not yet committed a crime—even those who fully intend to. As long as you keep chasing criminals there will be crime. To stop crime, one must get ahead of it. That takes educators, parents, business people and a shitload of reporters, public relations people, and other communications specialists.
• At their very best, police are only a last line of prevention against crime. By right, they should not, at any time be counted on to be the first line of defense. That is a recipe for disaster.
If we are to achieve lasting peace, first lines of defense which must be strengthened include the family, the education system, the media, the private sector and the church. Ironically, all of these seem to agree with the government that police should be ‘doing more’ to curb the violence, making them either idiots
or hypocrites. According to one well-placed source, “They’re not the perpetrators, just the perpetuators.”
RSS
AMEN to that piece!! Hope the hypocrites read this one.
Tell it like it is, bring the truth to light.
something rotten in stlucia is a better heading.great truths…
This is a great article. A very good follow-up to your last one with the policemen. Very good. I wonder, how many St.lucians will actually read this?
Great Article. If we do not address the lack of opportunity and proper housing for a certain section of our society, this is the end result. Proud was one such program the labor administration had which UWP removed.
Jason is righ, all other players must be part of the process of dealing with crime, and it must never start and end with the police.
we all need to take the me out of crime!
As long as I can remember St. Lucia has always have a problem with their Police Force…. 30-something years under Compton, eight under Kenny and the beat goes on. They have tried Foreigners and locals. My philosohy is that the problem stems from the coruption that engulfs the island…. Polititons, Lawyers, Police Officers, Customs Officers and everyone in general is involved.
The best Police Commissioner that never was is Hermangild Francis. With him at the helm things would have improved!
Mr. Sifflet,
1. Your cheap shot about the Palestinians reveals your ignorance of the situation there.
2. Who told you that an effective police force is not a deterrent to crime — the police? Have you ever heard of crime of opportunity?
I have been saying for a long time now the government has to look at breaking down those CDC buildings. Which country in the world has project/ low income housing in the middle of the city? i can’t think of any. Castries can be one of the most beautiful cities in the caribbean and even world. Instead of the Government buying that was to be mall for office space, you break down a CDC and you put a nice 6 or 8 story building that’s enough office space. Its also in the city and not all the way up north so people from the south can get to it. I wonder if they think of the furture and what a city should really be about with these almost 60 year old buildings with cracks in them, smelling of pee, fellas smoking wood all day long. Tourist can not be seeing those types of places.
very good writing, and lets bring the truth to light.
Jason,
You seem to be hitting the nail on the head every time you write an article. It shows that you do thorough research before publishing. Many other reports can take a page from your book. Keep up the great work.
Plain and simple, this artice is the raw truth and interesting enough, are the views of a various segments of society. I am more than convinced that the community, yes all of us St. Lucia need to put our heads together to deal with the crime issue.
The government need to lissten to the cries of the people, create jobs, provide facilities in the community for the arts, sports and education activities and more access to education for the community. Just ask a few guys who lime on the block and you would be surprised to know that some of them have CXC’s and even graduated from Sir Athur Lewis Comm College. These guys are on the block because they couldnt find a job.
It really hurts me to see our politicians are fighting and blaming each other in the “house” rather than ralleying together to find a way to help this nation. Even worse is the fact that this government has an oppertunity to make a difference and they just keep getting back at the opposition for all their wrongdoings.
Jason I have read and agreed with many of articles but with this one I must disagree. Your article if read correctly seeks to diminish the role of St Lucia’s law enforcement, and make them an insignificant part of a very difficult equation. I most certainly cannot condone your statment “At their very best, police are only a last line of prevention against crime. By right, they should not, at any time be counted on to be the first line of defense” The police Jason is one the first and major players in our line of defense against crime prevention. Now when speaking about prevention let us not forget “The idea of police role, function, purpose, or mission in society requires us to think beyond the technical and operational aspects of police work, and consider, if you will, the philosophy of policing, and/or more generally, the place of legitimate authority in society. Policing is one of those few lines of work, like teaching and medicine, which have intimate connections with social life, social progress, and social change”. Granted St Lucia’s antiquated methods of policing can cetainly use an overhaul but they should not be deemed hopeless in being part of the remedy to the islands social ills. Statistics have proven that a police presence in high crime areas such as the garrisoning ghettoes you speak about can serve as a derterant to crime. The presence coupled with more effective community activism and less politcal banter can work wonders if strategized correctly. Surely, the moral framing should start with family, the education system, the media, the private sector and the church but as with every engine, these evidently break down, as exampled in sweet St Lucia’s present day society. We need alternatives , fresh and innovative thinkers, prudent legisalation and new ideas to emanciapte ourselves for the mental slavery that is creating the the rot in Castries and beyond. Napoleon once wrote “He who saves a nation breaks no law” . So…
Interesting. Thanks!
Interesting and so true. Urban housing should not ever be in heart of the city. I lived in one of the ‘newer’ CDC apartments for a few years. It was a good experience but one I don’t want to redo. Castries is surrounded by ghettos and there’s no escaping that. Better late than never if the problem is being addressd now. Good luck to them all!
Please!! Can someone come up with a new blue print for this beautiful island’s capital. What a shame for tourist boats to be coming into the habour and tourist having to go up north to see the beauty of St. Lucia. Why can’t they begin right in the capital and continue into the outskirts of the island. We need to reconstruct the capital, relocate the poor by creating new homes, new neighborhoods, new infrastructure whereby, more jobs. We seem to be doing more improving every where else but in the capital where the first impression should be. Imagine a beautiful mall right in the center of Castries, sidewalk cafes, local desert shops, boutiques, new office buildings etc, etc, all with beautiful trees, flower gardens and off course with wider streets and all run by St. Lucians. That will certainly iliminate some of the crime. St. Lucia has a lot of untouchable land that can be developed and create new afordable homes for the less fortunate.
!!POLITICIANS WAKE UP!!
This situation had been a long time coming,it saddens my heart to read and watch the epedemic that st.lucia is being faced with. politicians in my openion are the main cause for the mishaps in the country ,where ever there is corruption ,injustice and crime follows.When i left st.lucia ten years ago i never thaught that i t would come down to this .In order to curb crime ,we need to flush out the bad seeds and recruit people who put the interest of the contry before their pockets
Obviously not a very well travelled set of people here. London, Paris, Milan, Oslo, Johannesburg, Sydney….. just a small list of cities I’ve been to with social housing. I do agree there that is perhaps too many dwellings in the city center; however that is not the root of the problems we have…..
si parni situez par ni volere…….not every body who is poor and live in our ghetto are rotten but those of us who turn a blind eye are just as bad as the criminals…here is a list of things we can do to make a positive change..1/stop buying stolen goods2/stop hideing dangerous criminals 3/support your local police and most important 4/police should patrol the ghettos 24/7…prevention is better than cure
Hey really pains my heart most times when i walk tru the so called city of Castries. Has anyone notice the alarming increase in the amt of desperate, unkempt, drug consumed souls. It pains me. Now so many are falling prey to mental health problems in the this rough times. And what is worse is that the priority is not about alleviating this problem. We are all at risk
Here is my humble opinion/heartfelt belief. To address any problem/issue we must be willing to look into all possible reasons. That approach will certainly lead us to some kind of “Root” cause(s). Then we must be humble enough to do introspection/soul searching and admit our shortcomings as humans. Where am I going with this? More often than not, whether out of ignorance and or a combination of life circumstances, many adults fail children. Abuse of any kind and neglect of a child’s fundamental needs can have long term negative consequences. Corrupt officials, crooked police, gang members, drug users/pushers, terrorrists, and all those we consider “bad apples” came from some type of family background which helped shape them. Too often adults (especially parents) refuse to admit shortcomings (even while claiming to be godly). God is not fooled. This is my second time commenting on this subject. The quality of family is key to raising well rounded, conscientious, disciplined adults. Well rounded adults I am convinced, are unlikely to indulge in anti social behavior regardless of economic conditions.