File photo of police officers during a parade.
(SNO) – The staff complement of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force is to be expanded by 50 more recruits.
The announcement was made by Assistance Commissioner (ACP) of Police responsible for operations George Nicholas at a press conference today, Auguste 31, 2018.
According to the ACP, the new batch of police recruits should be in uniform and on duty by next year.
Nicholas, along with ACP Wayne Chalery responsible for Crime Management and Intelligence and Sargeant Kimroy Renee the Officer in Charge of Intelligence, were highlighting the crime situation in the country from January – July of this year to media personnel.
Nicholas said that so far the police have confiscated 12 more firearms this year compared to the same period last year and have managed to suppress violent crime in various degrees.
Expounding a theme of crime reduction and a safer environment for all, Nicholas said there was a general increase in the police force crime detection rate for the period under review.
Regarding the heightened police presence both day and night in Castries and in other parts of the country Nicholas said that though these operations appear to be routine traffic checks they are, for the most part, intelligence driven and strategic.
“There are a lot of issues factored in the locations that we operate,” he said.
“We have checked over 2000 motor vehicles, and by check we mean seeing that those vehicles are in compliance with the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act. We have issue over 300 tickets, impounded nine motor vehicles that include motor cycles. We have confiscated close to 40 dangerous weapons that include knives, cutlasses and scissors. We have also seized narcotics, cash we believe is link to money laundering, made arrests and searches in targeted locations like Rock Hall, Wilton’s Yard, Grass Street and Leslie Land,” ACO Nicholas said.
The offenses found to be most prevalent in these operations were operating a motor vehicle without insurance, failing to display licence stickers and failing to produce documents.
Nicholas appealed to motorists to comply with the Road Traffic Act or in default watch their vehicles carted away by police. Motorists could also find themselves penalized if they are not in keeping with the Act.
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