Crime help call from St Lucia St Lucian hoteliers have urged the government to seek outside help in combating the country's worsening crime problem. Hoteliers said crime is perhaps the biggest single problem facing the country’s important tourism industry.
With homicides for the year so far at an unprecedented 33, compared to 27 for the same time last year, Terence Gustave, executive vice president of the St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association told BBC Caribbean Radio it was time to get overseas help.
"How many of these (homicides) have been solved? We need outside help, that’s the bottom line."
Hoteliers are not the only ones feeling the effect of mounting crime, so are other parts of the private sector.
Petroleum dealers at a meeting yesterday agreed to restrict their opening hours to reduce the risk of armed robberies.
Clinton Charlery, president of the Petroleum Dealers Association said there have been more than 20 attacks on petrol stations in the past two years, and many others are not reported.
Police shake-up
But rather than getting outside help to deal with the problem, Mr Charlery believes its time for a shake-up in the St Lucia Police Force.
St Lucia Police say they are scoring some success in the battle against crime, and displayed 139 illegal guns seized so far for this year.
It’s the biggest ever haul, and is just slightly less than all the guns seized between 2001 and 2003.
“If you reduce on the number of guns out there, you reduce the likelihood or the probability of gun related crimes,� said National Security minister Calixte George.
But if the gun seizures were meant to inspire confidence, they haven’t made the impression they should - on petroleum dealers at least.
The Association's president said more of an impression would have been made if the Police had recovered the firearms, rather than in most cases, individuals handing them in for a $2500 reward.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/...e-appeal.shtml