SPIKE IN HOMICIDES - EVEN A POLICE OFFICER HAS BECOME A VICTIM!

I can’t recall the exact TV station; but about two weeks ago, I was watching a programme on which the host disclosed that the average homicide rate in the USA was 3 persons per hour or 300,000 per year.

In St. Lucia, the average homicide rate is in the region of 40-50 a year, approaching 1 in every 9 days.

So we may ask: “What’s the big deal about the “small number” of homicide cases in St. Lucia when compared with the “monumental number” in the USA?  Statistically, we can claim that our homicide rate approaches “zero” when compared with the USA. Indeed, if the figures are right, then the number of homicides committed in the mighty USA every year is almost twice the population size of St. Lucia (n=170,000). The population of the USA is 314 million.

According to my mathematics, the USA’s homicide rate is 4 times that of St. Lucia. (If we divide 300,000 by 314,280,000, we get 9.54 x 10⁻⁴; and similarly, if we divide 40 by 170,000, we get 2.35 x 10⁻⁴. Hence, 9.54 x 10⁻⁴ is greater than 2.35 x 10⁻⁴ by a factor of 4!

There’s no doubt that Uncle Sam has the wherewithal to deal with homicides; but there is also a suggestion that it may be overwhelmed, too! Yet, Uncle Sam do not seem to make a big fuss about homicides in the way we do, unless there is a dramatic twist to them.

Uncle Sam is jingoistic (I mean it likes to go to war) and perhaps the concept of “collateral damage” may be one of the factors which explain their lack of fuss about homicides. At a time when there is a relative semblance of world peace, President Obama’s challenger Mitt Romney is already talking about going to war with Iran!

Do Americans probably have a different psychological make-up from their native, small islands counterparts? Those of us dwelling in Uncle Sam’s "backyard" are generally not only empathetic but also sympathetic to our neighbours’ plights; it is almost natural for a homicide in an “island neighbourhood” to tend to generate ripple effects – if not shockwaves - throughout the entire neighbourhood. Except for a few rascals emulating “foolish aspects” of Jamaican ghetto life, we generally treasure life and we religiously regard the right to life as sacrosanct, irrespective of race, class, colour or creed.

However and notwithstanding all of the above, St. Lucia has reason to be concerned about the recent spike in the homicide/suicide rate in recent weeks, happening especially on weekends.

The equation has become even more complex - for police officers are becoming victims, and also the rich seem to be joining the band of perpetrators.

PC 104 LUCAN LESMOND

Last week, we had a young member of the supposedly socio-economic elite being charged for the death of a young school girl. Today (September 2), the police arrested a young lady in connection with the death of a young police officer - PC 104 Lucan Lesmond of the Special Services Unit (SSU).

The young lady is the wife of the deceased.

Information is sketchy, but sources close to the deceased told the Powerhouse that Lucan was out partying with his family members of Saturday night/Sunday morning and upon his return retired to his bed but he never saw "the light of day" again. He met his death while sleeping in "broad daylight" and in the presence of his son! It is reported that he died as a result of gunshot wounds.

It is further alleged that the incident might have been precipitated after his spouse glimpsed through photos which were snapped during the family frolicking on that fatal morning/night.

The police are investigating.