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28th
January 2010
1
– 2 – 3 – 4 –
5 …
It’s
the last week of January and here the
population of St. Lucia sits, staring
at each other wide-eyed and with mouths
agape, noting with consternation that
we have, this year, already been witness
to at least five reported homicides.
It’s the last week, but we have
not yet lived through the last weekend.
That will be here in two days …
and we know that most of the violence
that is perpetrated in this country seems
to take place on the weekend.
So let’s hold our collective breaths,
keep our fingers crossed and pray that
we do not notch the half-dozen or –
God forbid – even more, before we
hit January 31st.
The rate of deaths by violence taking
place this year (month) has become the
talking point of almost every discussion
taking place around the island. The shared
and constantly-expressed sentiment is
that some kind of stop has to be put to
what is going on, but nobody seems to
know how best to go about doing it.
The time has passed for the placing of
blame at the door of our Police Force.
Even though most people appear to admit
that they perceive an amelioration of
sorts in the operations of the law-enforcement
organization, the numbers nevertheless
seem to be climbing.
Calls are incessantly being put out for
greater collaboration and assistance from
members of the public, but in the presently-existing
climate, the majority of citizens still
seem to be fearful of coming forward with
information that might inculpate any perpetrator
they might have witnessed in the commission
of some crime, for fear of repercussion
that might ensue … the measure of
security coming from whatever form of
police protection – or even of police
non-disclosure – being far overshadowed
by the very real danger they imagine they
and their loved ones may be subjected
to if the criminals, or their family members
or friends, were to discover their identities.
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But
somehow, something simply has to be done. Even
if we were “fortunate” enough (though
admittedly, it should have nothing to do with
luck, but more with strict enforcement) to experience
no homicides this coming weekend, five in one
month is far too many for the citizenry to tolerate;
and were it to continue in that vein, we would
soon find ourselves listed with one of the highest
rates of murder per capita in the world. After
all – until we get the new figures from
the upcoming census exercise – we have
a population of only just over one hundred and
sixty thousand.
We reportedly have one of the highest rates
of diabetes, one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS
infection, let us not now aim for one of the
highest rates of homicide and murder as well.
There is little doubt that those with the power
to do something about our situation must be
looking at the statistics and trying to figure
out what course of action to take. Were there
to be no improvement in the near future, we
shall forcibly be left to conclude that it is
not because of lack of effort, but because of
lack of qualification, capability and efficiency
within the ranks of those powers that be, that
we are unable to get out of the morass we are
in.
And if persons of a higher quality of intelligence
and proficiency are what is needed, we must
very pragmatically identify them and place them
in the positions that matter, for our safety’s
sake and that of our children.
It just cannot be allowed to continue. We cannot
continue to cringe and capitulate to the status
quo, when it comes to the rate of violence in
our country.
It has to be stopped.
Discuss
Story
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