PM Pledges Enhanced Crime Fight Amid Rising Gun Violence

Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has acknowledged that tackling crime remains a significant challenge but assured that measures will be introduced in the coming year to address the issue. Speaking at his end-of-year press conference on Wednesday, Pierre said that gun violence in particular was placing a heavy burden on the nation’s healthcare services.  “In terms of crime as a public health issue, every person who’s shot, it costs the health services about $200,000 to bring that person back if they do not succumb,” he explained, adding that in cases where individuals succumb to their injuries in the hospital, the costs remain substantial. “We’re very concerned about the level of gun violence.” The prime minister outlined several strategies to intensify the fight against crime, including increased investment in the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force. “Only yesterday, for the first time since 2019, we graduated 78 policemen and women from training, and I’ve asked that another cohort of 80 new police recruits begin training by February next year,” he said. Other measures the public can look forward to, according to the prime minister, are the opening of an “ultra-modern” police headquarters in Gros Islet, the reopening of the southern headquarters which...