Police Commissioner of the Royal St Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), Verne Garde
Criminal activity is down from last year’s figures in almost every category. So says Police Commissioner of the Royal St Lucia Police Force {RSLPF} Verne Garde.
At a specially convened press conference Thursday, the top brass of the RSLPF provided statistics to back up their claim. The figures show that for the same period last year, January 1st – September 24th} overall crime was down by some 16%. In presenting the figures, Superintendent Troy Lamontagne highlighted that in the overall distribution of crimes, the Central Division was responsible for 42% while the Southern Division and the Northern Division managed 35% and 23% respectively. Only Firearm Offences showed an increased during the period in question while Burglary, Sexual Offences, Robbery, Narcotics and Murder all show a decline.
April {8}, July {8} and September {13} are the costliest months on the murder roster to date this year, September 2025 being the standout month in the last two years. Among the 57 victims thus far, 28 were between 21-30 years old, with 54 males and 3 females. RSLPF Commissioner Garde says the efforts of the force in deliberate and is aimed squarely at reducing the crime figures. “We are now seeing the fruits of the labour of the officers throughout the respective period. We have seen a mark decrease in the amount of burglaries, a mark decrease in the amount of robberies.” Garde went on to explain that relationships between the police and other entities have proven valuable in the fight against crime.
Asked about the support from the government, Commissioner Garde was pointed in his response. “The Royal St. Lucia Police Force like every other police force or organization will always be in need of further resources. I feel the issue of support from our employer is 100% correct. During my tenure as a police officer I not seen the influx of resources, administrative support, that I’ve seen in this current period, ever in the history of the organization.”
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In delivering their statistics, the RSLPF revealed they confiscated 66 pistols, 5 revolvers, 1 submachine gun, 9 rifles, and 5 shotguns among the 94 items seized. The commissioner also made a point of highlighting that 4856 rounds of ammunition was also confiscated, most of which were 9mm rounds.
The press conference addressed other issues, including the death of K9 Officer Tyson, the allegations against a senior officer and the Chakadan Daniel case.
