Law

St. Lucia’s National Security Minister calls for tightened security at the island’s borders

ST. LUCIA – The Minister for Home Affairs and National Security, Senator the Honourable Guy Mayers of St. Lucia has called for the tightening of security at the island’s boarders, especially as Saint Lucia has become known as one of the transhipment point for illegal substances within the Eastern Caribbean.

Senator Mayers said that with the right quantity of small vessels and manpower within the Marine Unit and Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, the island could guard against the proliferation of drug-related transactions that take place on its waters.

“We need to replenish our officers. We are now starting that process, but as I always say, you want an accountant or a clerk; you can get them overnight. You want a police officer; it takes at least six to eight months before you can get a trained police officer who is going to start the process,” Senator Mayers said.

Senator Mayers said there is a correlation between activities at the borders and the homicides that occur at the community level. He said one of the measures being instituted to address the situation is to increase the manpower of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force and Marine Police.

“Some of these drugs are being transported by some of those small fishing boats, coming from South America, Venezuela, and other areas coming up our coast. They are also coming from Martinique or transported from Saint Lucia to Martinique. We have very porous borders and we need to properly protect them,” added Senator Mayers.

The Home Affairs and National Security Minister announced plans to enlist another batch of one hundred recruits as soon as the present batch completes training in January, 2010.

Related Articles

Back to top button