Besieged by ever increasing violent crime and illegal arms coming into the country, St Lucia has turned to regional help, bringing in Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS).

This security peace keeping unit is comprised of members from St Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana and St Vincent.

These troops will now work alongside the Royal St Lucia Police Force.

St Lucia’s Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre has vowed to stem rampant crime and get on top of anti-social behaviour. The country’s murder rate has continued to rise in recent years with drug dealers posing challenges to law enforcement bodies.

Last year there were 74 murders in St Lucia and this year there already have been 30. This means St Lucia’s homicide rate is now 40 per 100,000 with only one in five murders going to court. This makes St Lucia among the highest murder rate countries in the Caribbean.

Gangs have taken hold in the country forcing the Royal St Lucia Police Force to form The Gang Investigation Unit. The Government has also instituted the Anti-Gang Act.

Last year, former Prime Minister Kenny Anthony said: “As Parliamentary representative for Vieux Fort South, I strongly condemn the acts of violence and the blatant disregard for the laws of St Lucia and the lives of our citizens.

“The police must spare no effort in tracing those responsible for these shootings and everything must be done to bring them to justice.”

Pierre has increased the crime fighting budget and will be providing funding for new vehicles and to address the back log of cases.

One of the problems preventing effective crime fighting in St Lucia is the level of corruption in the police force there.

Taking a zero tolerance approach, St Lucia’s Police Commissioner Milton Desir has said: “That is one thing I am not tolerating in the force – it is corruption and I know commissioners before me would tell me the same thing.

“We have persons saying police are corrupt but we must have the information to act on it. Assisting criminals means you would be dismissed immediately for that.”