Police Respond After Coming Under Attack

After confirming last week that unknown individuals discharged a firearm at the Richfond Police Station on Sunday July 26, 2015 about 4:30 a.m., acting police commissioner Errol Alexander says the incident is not to be taken lightly. No one was injured.

Speaking on the programme “Call the Police” on Radio Saint Lucia on Wednesday Alexander warned criminals that the police were not flat on their backs and had a right to defend themselves and to match force with force. “We will not sit by and allow our police officers to be acted upon by these people,” Alexander said.

“We had our meeting sometime last week with the Police High Command and we are on high alert in relation to defending ourselves. So I am sending a message out there; if the criminals think that we are in Jamaica, we are not in Jamaica, we are in Saint Lucia, okay. And we will take whatever measures necessary to protect the safety of our police officers,” the top cop said.

Alexander was also asked by the show’s host Martin James to comment on reports of missiles being hurled at officers on duty along the Chaussee road recently. “We are providing a service for law-abiding people in Saint Lucia. We are on the Chaussee doing our patrols preventing a couple of communities from destroying themselves and they should see that as a good initiative. Those persons who are throwing missiles, we are going to defend ourselves and if we are able to get them the full brunt of the law will be done without fear without favour.”

Alexander also spoke of an incident on Carnival Tuesday when a number of young men accosted a constable who “froze.” “That is why something did not happen. But I am saying if you are so bold in doing so, we will be bold in taking the relevant action that we have to take. We have to protect ourselves and we cannot stand by and allow these things to happen and we do not protect ourselves,” he said.