| Royal Saint Lucia Police Force | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | RSLPF |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1834 |
| Employees | 1,045 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Saint Lucia |
| Size | 238 square miles (620 km2) |
| Population | 175,000 |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Agency executive |
|
| Facilities | |
| Stations | 14 |
The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) is the agency responsible for law enforcement in Saint Lucia.[1] It was founded in 1834.[2]
The Commissioner of Police is Crusita Descartes-Pelius,[3] who commands 957 police officers and civilian employees,[4] in 14 police stations, who serve a resident population of 175,000.[2] Each department or station is headed by a Superintendent of Police and an Assistant Superintendent of Police.
The RSLPF maintains two paramilitary sub organizations; the Special Service Unit, and the Coast Guard, both units are responsible for internal security.[4] Defense is the responsibility of Regional Security System.[5] There is only one non-policing organization under the command of the RSLPF, the Immigration Service.[6]
The RSLPF includes The Royal Saint Lucia Police Band, which is a specialized department within the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force. The Band consists of Police Constables (PC and SPC), as well as Trainee and Supervising ranks who specialize in Music and Arts.
The Band rank structure is that of the same as most units within the RSLPF. Most members hold the rank of Police Constable (PC and SPC) or above. These ranks carry out and conduct the duties and responsibilities of a State Commissioned Police Officer (Law Enforcement) with the exception being Band Cadets and Band Apprentices; both of which are trainee ranks not sworn to uphold the law by oath.
The RSLPB has hosted bands such as the Hampshire Band[7] and the Royal Barbados Police Band. It is revered as one of the best-uniformed marching bands in the Eastern Caribbean. It was founded on 18 June 1947 under the direction of Nathaniel Griffith and consisting of 6 policemen. Since its establishment, it has increased sevenfold to the size of 42, a number that includes 4 females.[8] The Band are well known for performances at state events such as the Independence Day Parade in Castries[9] and Remembrance Sunday celebrations.
In 2015 the Saint Lucia police said that they were under-resourced, with not enough police officers to keep up with the crime case load.[10]
The Saint Lucia police have been accused of keeping death lists and carrying out extrajudicial killings of suspected criminals in an attempt to make St Lucia more attractive to tourists.[11] Shootings by police took place in 2010 and 2011 during a security drive called Operation Restore Confidence, which was aimed at reducing violent crime and boosting tourism following the murder of a British tourist.[11]
A report by independent investigators from the Jamaica Constabulary Force in 2015 claimed that officers from the Royal St. Lucia Police Force staged a dozen killings of suspected criminals.[11] The police then reported the killings as murders committed by unknown assailants, planting weapons at the scene.[11] In August 2013 the US government suspended assistance to the Saint Lucia police in light of rumours of the extrajudicial killings.[11] In June 2021, the United States restored assistance to selected units of the RSLPF, such as the Immigration and Marine Units.[12]
