Police Chief Severin Moncherry.
Persons seeking the assistance of police have long complained that in many instances they are told that they are without vehicle and cannot respond to certain cases.
But Saint Lucia’s Commissioner of Police Severin Moncherry has made it clear that every station is assigned vehicles and in cases where they are without, they can call other units for assistance, especially in Castries.
“It is unfair for police officers to tell members of the public that there are no patrol vehicles because you have others units and I am aware that at the Central Police Station there are vehicles. Further to that, I am aware that at other units there are vehicles within the Castries area where if there isn’t a vehicle at Central, they can call for assistance,” he said.
The commissioner’s statement was in response to a complaint made by a member of the public who called into ‘Police Insight’ aired on MBC Television on Monday evening. Moncherry was a guest on that programme.
“What I want members of the public to do is to record the time you are calling and the date. Also, try to get the name of the officer you are speaking to. In some instances they may not want to give their names, but record the time and date and report it to a senior police officer or one of the assistant police commissioners,” Moncherry advised.
The top cop said he will not accept at anytime that police officers are telling members of the public that there is no vehicle. “We are one police force with many departments and if one unit does not have vehicle, then they need to call for assistance from some other station.”
Another caller to the weekly police programme also raised concerns about certain police stations getting into the habit of closing its doors to members of the public at a certain time.
But Moncherry again stated his disappointment with such a move explaining to the caller that no police station should be closed in Saint Lucia and instructions have been sent out that police stations should never be closed.
“So if you go to any station and you realize that any station is closed, you need to report it to myself or the officer-in -charge or one of the members of the executive. Stations in this modern day and age should not be closed at any point in time,” the police chief asserted.
Responding to another caller who had concerns about how a police officer responded to a burglary, Moncherry said police officers are always encouraged to act professionally and said it is not encouraging when a police officer does not provide the services that citizens need.
“If there is a burglary, as a police officer, you need to play your role and do what you have to do. It is not for you to decide whether it is a big deal or not. If the person believes what was stolen was not important to them, I don’t think they will come to the police. So every time someone walks into the police station, they need to walk out feeling satisfied with whatever treatment or service they have received from the police officer.”
He continued, “We are there to serve the public. They are our customers. We are paid to serve them. When someone comes to the station it’s not because they just want to come to the station. They are coming to the station because they believe they need help and they believe that is where they can get help.”
The police commissioner said that in itself will help to rebuild public confidence in the police.
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