Politicians got us into this mess in the first place: Part 1

Rick Wayne has penned an article in his newspaper the Star which to my mind is superb. This blog will reproduce the complete article in four consecutive posts. I find it worth sharing with readers of this blog as it reminds me of how history repeats itself.

Politicians got us into this mess in the first place: Written By: Rick Wayne on May 31st, 2010
Why do we always use the problems of other territories as inspiration for chaos in our own neck of the woods? Remember when some people were on the radio calling for riots here, just because of the civil unrest in Martinique?


Now, to hear some of the Unidentified Foolish Objectors, they would welcome here something like what’s currently killing Jamaica if that is what it’ll take to get into office—or to hold on to power.

Have we all gone totally bananas? Remember John Broughton and Company? They were imported from the UK to do for crime-ridden Saint Lucia what we were told the local constabulary could not do. Only much later, when they became the current government’s responsibility, did we hear from the now opposition that Broughton and his team were brought to crime-stricken Saint Lucia, not as crime fighters but as “consultants” who would provide our cops with “administrative and technical advice.”

One member of the Broughton team was allegedly a specialist at solving cold cases. He took charge of a Cap Estate murder investigation when the trail was still red-hot, famously arrested two non-nationals, then released them shortly afterward. He led the investigation of another homicide near the Coal Pot restaurant, to no avail. Remember? Need I remind you, dear concerned fellow Saint Lucian, that both incidents remain unresolved and are now filed under, yes, yes, you guessed, Cold Cases?

Before he returned to the UK following a nasty fall-out with the rest of his team and their government enablers, the particular gentleman declared Broughton “the most idle man I ever met!” Evidently, much of his own time here was devoted to the hot pursuit of Looshan pussycat dolls, one of whom rewarded him with a beautiful child.

For the specialized services of Broughton and Company, the Kenny Anthony government forked out $7 million from the Petroleum Stabilization Fund. Now imagine what the government could’ve done for the local force with $7 million. Some of that could’ve gone toward forensic training, or protective vests, or fingerprinting paraphernalia, or a finger print bank.

Imagine what could be done for the police today with $7 million. Who advised Kenny Anthony in this matter? Is he now advising Stephenson King? As it turned out, Broughton and Company had no discernible salutary impact on crime or the police.

Meanwhile, the local leaders of the Royal St Lucia Police Force were sent home on leave. An investigation into the operations of at least one of them made headlines throughout the region. Remember when the newly installed security minister Keith Mondesir announced on the radio that the native police commissioner was a dud, and that Broughton was doing for the minister what his local counterpart would not or could not do? As if that were not already enough spit in the face of the police, Mondesir let the whole world in on an investigation initiated by the Kenny Anthony government that produced evidence that made it difficult to tell the drug barons from criminals in police uniforms.

Reproduced from http://stluciastar.com/content/archives/13669