St Lucia records 45 homicides – police killings, gang reprisals, friendly fire, a lawless state of affairs

By Caribbean News Global

CASTRIES, St Lucia – The filling fields of Saint Lucia continue to gain notoriety, making history in all the wrong ways with 45 homicides, inclusive of police-related killings, (two confirmed); gang reprisals, friendly fire; and the termination of two gang leaders in 16 months.

‘Community leaders’ and ‘law enforcement alert’

Gang leaders in Saint Lucia are regarded as “community leaders” where everyone benefits, in a lawless state of affairs, even at the hands of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, (RSLPF), to register “the leak” of an internal memo – Law Enforcement Alert – following homicide 44, last Sunday in Anse La Raye.  

But who can discipline senior officers or the junior ranks when the hard nose is to transfer vs dismissal when gangs and criminal perpetrators are tipped off on RSLPF operations? Or better, are on gang leaders’ payroll!

Conversely, what is the logic for the RSLPF to investigate itself when a so-called “intelligence report meant for officers, not for the public,” was leaked?

Who knows what other sensitive information is leaked and in what volumes – big so – or in thump drives – small so? This puts the logical question on the status of the 555 line and the Crime Hotline App. Is it a strainer?

History recalls that previous RSLPF investigations had the trappings of a suicidal mission. The present seems no different. A  dead ending!

Gone viral

The leaked RSLPF ‘Law Enforcement Alert’ has gone viral, and is in the hands of foreign intelligence and institutions, with a keen eye on Saint Lucia.

“On Saturday 20th July 2024, known Marigot Gang Leader and notorious criminal, Maxwell DUNCAN alias Maxwell LEO aka ‘Hennesy’ of Marigot, Castries was shot and killed by police, whilst aboard a vehicle, which was fleeing the scene of a robbery, at the Anse La Raye village.

“Since, the police shooting numerous threats have been made to the police via social media, to shoot and kill law enforcement personnel and conduct drive-by shootings at the various police stations located within the community of Marigot, Anse La Raye and Canaries. …” says the RSLPF ‘Law Enforcement Alert’.

The impending threat states that” Members of this gang have access to high calibre firearms and are known to have a high propensity for violence. They have been responsible for a number of homicides that have occurred within the Marigot, Jacmel Anse La Raye and Canaries communities.” […]

“There is a strong probability that the members of the Marigot gang may attempt to retaliate against law enforcement, which will result in possible loss of life and serious injury to police personnel and civilians who will be participating in this mass crowd carnival event. Confidence Level: 80%.”

The recommendations per the “Law Enforcement Alert” were standard security and proactive measures, interventions and surveillance practices.

The authorities (government and law enforcement) permitted the Canaries Carnival to proceed on Sunday, July 21, 2024 and reported “incident-free despite security concerns.” 

Symptoms left unchecked

But perhaps in a Déjà vu phenomenon, an illusion of inexperience, through the present situation the “ Law Enforcement Alert” listed 16 members of the Marigot Gang, noting the leader ‘Hennseey’ as deceased.

The question remains: what is the future of the remaining 15 gang members, who by now are under the command of the 2nd in command?

This is a stark reminder of Operation Restore Confidence (ORC) 12 extrajudicial killings, to which – The ghost of IMPACS hunts St Lucia – and that the RSLPF is a systemic problem that requires dismantling vs rebranding, policies and new standards to begin the change, from ‘a colonial dinosaur of political repositories.’

Last year, Rufus Stephen alias ‘Brico’ from Vieux-Fort, “who was 62 years old at the time of his murder was a well-known fisherman who owned several boats.”

On Sunday, July 21, 2024, “at about 2:00 a.m. officers attached to the Anse La Raye Police Station responded to information regarding a suspected robbery in the village. During the incident, one male was fatally wounded, identified as Maxwell Leo alias Hennessy of Marigot. The deceased is known to law enforcement and was at the time, on bail for a previous charge of possession of Firearm,” said the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, (RSLPF). “One .40 calibre pistol and one spent .40 calibre shell was recovered by officers following the encounter. A total of five individuals are in police custody in relation to this matter.”

Note (The two police reports are inconsistent, and the eight-page ‘Law Enforcement Alert’ as circulated is not dated.)

Meantime, Maxwell Leo aka ‘Hennessy’ autopsy is pending, there is concern that his death may be the result of ‘friendly fire,’ which has the probability of a new dimension.

Was there a cross-fire? Who’s gun matches the fatal shot? Who will present the final report on the various findings? Who will pin down the ideology and the need for change?

Certainly, it is not the commissioner of police, nor the minister for crime prevention. Their vanguard is yet to show the progressive reform for national security, basic policing, crime prevention and criminal justice reform.

According to the RSLPF, “In this instance, [Anse La Raye] it was noted that individuals physically attempted to prevent officers from processing the scene” adding, “All identified perpetrators will be arrested and prosecuted. “

Ironically, with a shifting political and security command structure, matters surrounding Brico’s murder in Vieux Fort are still under investigation, as episodes erupt from time to time with deadly consequences; while the whereabouts of other marked individuals seem a mystery, in neighbouring islands.

Last Saturday/Sunday (if RSLPF can report correctly) the homicide of aka ‘Hennessy’ has brought the matter of  – gang leaders, ‘community leaders’ and renewed insights into the underworld of drugs, gangs and crime in the social and economic fabric of Saint Lucia.

The method of operation and the use of the gangs ‘toolbox’ is no surprise for trained minds, but confirms the hypocrisy of citizen security, government leaders and politicians, who know the happenings, coupled with the ineptitude of the RSLPF.

‘Brico, operating from Viex-Fort was a well-known fisherman who owned several boats. ‘Hennessy’ was known to law enforcement and was at the time, on bail for a previous charge of possession of firearm – was alongside his five minions – when the RSLPF responded to information regarding a suspected robbery in Anse La Raye.

The playbook of drugs, gangs and crime are amongst fronting businesses (construction, transportation companies, retail operations, food and beverage, and nicely groomed entrepreneurs, etc,.) for their criminal clients and dynamic money launderers in plain sight. It does not take much to know. Just look around, a walk on the beach and some small talk will reveal clean hands and clear eyes.

Loyalty is a hell of a thing!

The initial reaction from the Marigot community reports St Lucia Times: “The man used to take care of us. Everybody hurting for the time deh. We want justice dere for de boss.”

“Police always lifting up gun and shooting us. Dem people playing like dey always have the right to just kill us for no reason and nothing for that in Saint Lucia.”

“He [Hennessy] was holding all of us together. Now deh, you take one of us, what you expect us to do? How you expect us to feel?”

‘The boys’ lacked nothing. “Right now the guys vulnerable.”

Commentators wrote:

Bybois July 22, 2024 At 9:18 pm “He taking care of all of you guys where is he employed? What’s is his profession, I  am just asking, I really need some money to care for my family not guys on the block.”

Bolo Byron July 23, 2024 At 9:02 am “What was Maxwell ‘s occupation? With which company was he employed? Where was he getting money to help people?”

Realist July 23, 2024 At 9:34 am “Yes and whilst all that is happening we have police leaking out internal information to the bosses and their boys out there. That’s why when police go on a mission they cannot get the big guns because they always know when the police coming. So who informs them?

‘The math eh mathing’

Marigot Bay is a critical component of Saint Lucia’s tourism plant in particular the yachting and Villa industry, albeit there are three Marigots.

The Villas/Hotel/Yacht enclave-foreigners tourism economy on one side of the Bay. The domestic population and service providers, on the other end; and the drug/gangs ordinary section. Drug trafficking, gangs and crime have infiltrated Marigot Bay, similar to other sectors of Saint Lucia.

Fighting the ills of society is not more complicated than the hypocrisy in the corridors of power and the bureaucracy in Saint Lucia, hitherto, it has gone too far. Already there are signs of protecting one from another.

The difference will be to stamp out the standard bearer of money and corruption. Protecting the people is dynamic to rebuilding a strong middle class, with acceptable wages, not $6.50/hr. That’s regressive, and a symptom of remaining in the cycle of the underground economy.

@GlobalCaribbean