At the time of writing, Saint Lucia recorded 20 homicides. Over the course of the last two weeks, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force has conducted a number of shakedowns on suspected criminals – in most recent times, recovering a firearms and ammunition at a funeral of a person known to the police. 

On Friday, March 1st, Pierre left the island to attend a one-day CELAC meeting in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

“the Prime Minister will attend the Eighth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday, March 1, 2024…Topics for consideration on the agenda include healthcare, food security, climate change, peace, and citizen security. During the CELAC summit, St Vincent and the Grenadines will transition the Pro Tempore Presidency to the incoming President, Honduras,” the OPM stated.

Statements from regional leaders at the meeting zeroed in on violence as a public health issue and the negative impact of firearms trafficking and gang violence threatening to cripple their growing economies.

Prime Minister Pierre is expected to expound on his government’s policy on citizen security and also address the resignation of Deputy Speaker Jeremiah Norbert (and his rumoured appointment as Home Affairs Minister), the election of a new Deputy Speaker and the evolving crime surge.