Final Report Youth, gangs and violence and their contribution to crime in Saint Lucia

Prepared by Marcus Day In fulfilment of contract IC-UNODC 2012-054 Project GLOT63: Support to crime prevention and criminal justice reform

15 July 2013

1

“Nothing poses greater threats to civil society in CARICOM countries than the drug problem; and nothing exemplifies the powerlessness of regional governments more. That is the magnitude of the danger of drug abuse and drug trafficking hold for our community. It is a many-layered danger. At base is the human destruction implicit in drug addiction; but implicit also is the corruption of individuals and systems by the sheer enormity of the inducements of the illegal drug trade in poor countries. On top of this lie the implications for governance itself – at the hands of both external agencies engaged in international interdiction, and the drug barons themselves – the dons of the modern Caribbean – who threaten governance from within”

West India Commission 1992:143

2 Table of Contents

Foreword ...... 4 Preface ...... 5 Objective ...... 6 Executive Summary ...... 6 Methodology ...... 6 Sampling and Setting ...... 7 Domains investigated ...... 8 Findings ...... 8 Trafficking and Micro Transnational Crime ...... 9 Smuggling of legal goods to avoid taxation ...... 9 Cocaine Trafficking, Sales and Youth ...... 9 Cannabis Trafficking, Sales and Youth ...... 11 Intersection of Cocaine and Cannabis Trafficking ...... 11 Instigators of Violence ...... 12 A Modern Time of Terror ...... 13 Entry into the culture of criminality through criminal justice contacts ...... 16 The movement of people through Saint Lucia ...... 16 Cannabis and Criminality ...... 17 Cannabis Cultivation and sales in Saint Lucia and Youth Involvement ...... 19 Money Laundering and Youth Involvement ...... 20 Young Males and Females and their involvement in gangs ...... 21 Percentage of Criminality vs. Non Criminal Activities of Youth Gangs ...... 22 Involuntary Returnees (aka: Deportee) ...... 23 Saint Lucia an Overview ...... 25 Poverty in Saint Lucia ...... 26 Decline of Bananas and Internal Migration ...... 27 The Informal Economy as Refuge...... 30 Bibliography ...... 32 Annex 1 - La Clery - A Case Study ...... 33

3 Foreword

Genocide, Piracy, Slavery: humanity at its most brutal

Saint Lucia was born in violence and for a large part remains, just below the surface, under a thin veneer of civility, a very violent society.

The pirate’s haven came first, as Saint Lucia was an excellent place to monitor merchant and gold traffic from the Spanish South. This was interlaced with wars of acquisition fought between Europeans for local control and the accompanying genocide of the indigenous population. The English privateers with letters of marque, also recognised this strategic value to monitor the movements of French fleet in Fort de France. During this time Saint Lucia was passed between the French and the English 14 times. Some of these transfers were quite bloody while others passed quietly. Those transfers after 1789 were the most bloody. The English waged an almost continuous struggle to acquire Saint Lucia and eventually prevailed in 1814.

French or English, ultimately contact with the Europeans proved fatal for the indigenous population. This euro-contact resulted in the eradication, assimilation (of primarily young women and girls of childbearing age) or relocation of the entire indigenous populations.

As the genocide of the indigenous was completed, the Europeans became busy facilitating the forced relocation of untold numbers persons from West Africa to the West Indies to work the sugar plantations. Every aspect of slavery was violent, the very institution, though justified under Old Testament precepts, was truly an abomination. The resulting historical trauma associated with slavery still influences people’s lives today in Saint Lucia. The war of liberation begun in 1789 with the French Revolution continues to this day with a large segment of the population wary of the perceived brutality of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force.

Genocide, Piracy, Slavery: humanity at its most brutal. What effect does this violent historical context influence our present day reality in Saint Lucia?

Marcus Day Castries Saint Lucia

4 Preface

Saint Lucia does not exist in isolation but is a member of a community of islands seeking to bind together to take advantage of economy of scale and the . CARICOM and individual member states have struggled with this issue since inception with discussions of youth involvement in crime, violence, gangs, and other anti-social activities.

The Caribbean, due to its proximity to cocaine producers in the south and it’s well established trading links with Europe and North America, is well positioned as a transit zone, accounting for an estimated 25-30% of cocaine reaching Europe.1 It is believed that the main destination for the bulk of cocaine transiting Saint Lucia is Martinique and onward to Paris and beyond.

The price differential between cocaine in Venezuela and Paris provide lucrative opportunities for Venezuelan elements that appear organised enough to successfully accomplish transnational movements of cocaine through Saint Lucia and onward through Martinique in into Paris. As is usual in any business context, accompanying the transhipment of cocaine are the petty income opportunities that present themselves at the different stages of the drug’s transit from source to destination. This extra income has proven attractive to many people in areas where salaries are low and poverty is entrenched. The information gathered in this study did not support the belief that there is substantial youth involvement in the Cocaine trade. What stories that were related were limited to third party accounts and anecdotal information on other people. We spoke with very few persons involved in cocaine trafficking and those were the petty traders and not the major traffickers,

It is believed that the south-north movement of cocaine operates in parallel to the counter flow of light weapons2. This contributes to national and regional instability, contributes to the rising homicide rates and fuels other organised crime activity across the region. The laundering of cocaine related earnings has compromised the financial services industry and dislocated local economies. While the economy of Saint Lucia and the rest of the Caribbean have stagnated as a result of the financial crisis of 2008, the banking system is “over liquid” with few qualified borrowers. It is perceived that government agencies, especially in law enforcement and criminal justice have been tainted by pervasive drug fuelled corruption3, further eroding public confidence in the police and in the State.

Drug generated income has enabled transnational organised crime groups to challenge legitimate Caribbean governments, and to take advantage of political

1 IFS, 2019, Eastern Caribbean – Field Mission Report and Proposed Actions 2 http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2012/09/illicit-trade-in-small-arms-and-light-weapons-responsible-for-untold- suffering-globally-barbados/ 3 West India Commission 1992:143

5 fragmentation. The isolated coast lines and island geography contribute to the popularity of the sub region for the trans-shipment of cocaine.

Objective

The Objective of this assignment was to conduct a needs assessment to determine the profile of youth gangs in Saint Lucia. Such an assessment was intended to add depth to existing analysis on gangs in the Caribbean by using one country as a study model.

Executive Summary

As outlined in the methods section the findings in this report are the synopsis of one year of “informal conversations” with various stakeholders though out Saint Lucia.

The main conclusion of this research is that much of the involvement of youth in crime and gang violence is over estimated and misunderstood. In every conversation the team had, cannabis was consistently identified as the root cause of almost all of the challenges young men experience. Interestingly enough the problems do not originate with cannabis “inebriation” but with the legal prohibitions on cannabis and the enforcement of those prohibitions in a zero tolerance environment. The targeted enforcement of the cannabis laws is at the centre of most of the dislocation found among young men in Saint Lucia. Because of cannabis induced criminal justice contacts, young men are forced to leave their education, leave the safety of their homes and are introduced into the deeper criminal world.

Reducing cannabis related criminal justice contacts is an effective prevention strategy for limiting contact with individuals engaged in transnational organised crime. Limiting exposure to the serious “criminal elements” who are incarcerated is also an effective prevention strategy, as this reduces the opportunities for young people to come into close contact with serious and often violent criminals.

Perceived “disrespect” was the other major cause of violence in the ghetto. The whole concept of respect is key to understanding violence in the ghetto. The findings are clear that dignity denial by the security forces, coupled with the use of excessive force in the enforcement of cannabis laws have lead to a pattern of human rights violations by the state.

Methodology

6 This project set out to develop an ethnographic portrayal of the youth, gang, crime, violence situation in Saint Lucia. Over the course of a year (2012) a team consisting of a principal investigator, 1 research assistant and 3 key informants collected information on a number of domains related to youth, youth involvement in gangs and their contribution to violence and crime. Discussions with females were also conducted and information incorporated. 90% of the discussants were young males.

In all discussions the person guiding the conversation informed the group that information was being collected about youth, crime and violence in order to develop a more accurate profile of what was actually occurring. It was made clear to the participants that the research was not surveillance nor was the research associated with the Police. Participants were assured that their identity and location would not be revealed and that their information would be generalised and anonymous. No recordings were made. There was no ethical review of this research.

Topics were introduced and discussions guided around the domains listed. Little effort was made to keep discussions focused as some of the richest information harvested resulted from digressions. As an example the differentiation between identifying as a francophone or an anglophone resulted from one such digression, found valuable and subsequently incorporated in to later discussions.

Daily debriefings with summations of discussions were conducted by the team. Efforts were made to get independent collaboration of all information. The story related to the bartering of food stuffs is an example. When this was brought to the attention of the team, efforts were made to get collaboration from other groups in other areas of Saint Lucia. Collaboration was obtained and the team felt comfortable including the “scenario” here.

The principal investigator and author make no claims as to the generalisabilty of the information presented through the team is confident that the information included in this report presents an accurate ethnographic portrayal of the youth, gang, crime, violence situation in Saint Lucia.

Sampling and Setting

Sampling was purely by convenience. Given the nature of the discussions and the threat of criminal justice sanctions, discussions were initiated with groups where a least one individual was known to a team member.

The information was collected in very informal discussions, primarily on street corners and in “yards” where young men congregated to socialise. Information was gathered from participants from Gros Islet, Castries, Babonneau, Bexon, Dennery, Micoud, Soufriere, Anse La Raye.

7 Domains investigated

The proposal outlined a specific set of domains that were to be investigated  Triggers or instigators of violence in the community.  The existence of “gangs” using internationally accepted criteria: o They have an “official name” o They have an initiation criteria o They have a defined governance structure or at the least a “leader”.  The involvement of deportees in youth issues at investigation  Gender dimensions in the area of youth, gangs, criminality and violence.  Youth involvement in the crack cocaine trade  Youth involvement in cannabis trade  Causes of youth homelessness  Inter-island/ trans-national connections especially between St Vincent, Saint Lucia and Martinique.

Findings

The research proposal listed nine specific areas of interest that were to be covered in the research.

The following 4 bullets speak to gangs, inter-island/ trans-national connections, organised crime and the flow of illicit goods between islands focusing of the involvement youth have in these activities

 Issue 1: Gang connections between the islands of the Eastern Caribbean have not been explored in a systematic way. This is a form of trans- national crime that is little understood and yet is hypothesized to have an impact on the quality of life of local citizenry.  Issue 6: To examine the links between gangs and illicit flows and organized crime.  Issue 7: Explore any inter-island/ trans-national connections between gangs and small scale trans-national crime in the Caribbean  Issue 8: investigate Caribbean gangs and their overseas connections

8 Trafficking and Micro Transnational Crime

A key finding of this report is an analysis of the flow of illicit trade between Martinique and St Lucia. A common kweyol language, African ethnicity and cross island family bonds made a perfect combination that facilitates a fluidity of movement of goods and people across the 15 mile wide channel separating the two. To this day all manner of boats ply the waters between Martinique and Saint Lucia carrying licit and illicit cargoes.

There has always existed the informal movement of people and goods between these islands. Despite various regime changes this movement has continued unabated. The “informal” movements of goods and persons between Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent to the south and Saint Lucia and Martinique to the north continue often with bi-lingual4 Saint Lucians serving as the intermediary. The illicit movement of goods, both legal and illegal, is a daily occurrence. There is the unscheduled but regular transit of pleasure yachts, tourist ferries, work boats and fishing pirogues, frequently moving north and south among the islands.

Smuggling of legal goods to avoid taxation

We heard stories of the smuggling of legal goods between Saint Lucia and Martinique to avoid taxation. Horse meat, turtle meat, cigarettes and tobacco products from Saint Lucia move illicitly into the highly regulated, heavily taxed market place of Martinique while French wines and inexpensive electrical goods and tools are among items finding their way “tax free” onto the informal Lucian market place. The research found no evidence of the irregular trade in legal good intersecting with the cocaine and related firearms trade.

Cocaine Trafficking, Sales and Youth

Cocaine transits Saint Lucia on its way thru Martinique and onward to Paris and beyond. It is alleged that the most serious movements of cocaine through Saint Lucia arrive in either containerised, bulk cargo or roll on – roll off commercial shipments coming from primarily Venezuela. Facilitation of this type of shipment and its protection requires a coordinated, transnational organisation to ensure the undisturbed, uninspected movement of the goods. The research found no evidence of young people being involved in this cocaine trafficking. The cocaine in Saint Lucia is almost always from the one big shipment and a usual distribution network of people carry out the processing and local distribution.

4 English and Kweyol

9 The crack dealing on the street is a tightly controlled industry and not one that is easily encroached on. While some street crack dealers also sell cannabis, the vast majority of cannabis sellers do not sell smokeable cocaine. At the point of crack street sales there appears to be opportunities for young men to become involved. This was always reported “as a possibility” rather then “I know someone like that”. None of our research revealed any first hand information regarding young sellers of cocaine. It was often reported that much of the serious cocaine trafficking is controlled by organised criminal organisations. It was regularly alleged that the trade is protected by corrupt Government officials. The cocaine trade is extremely lucrative and there are large sums of cash available to disburse in return for unhampered and unimpeded movements of product. All but the very grassroots aspects of local distribution of cocaine was often alleged to be controlled by a gang made up of Venezuelans

If there is any connection between young people and the crack cocaine markets it is at the very local level, when the powder cocaine that is used as the “in kind” payment for the facilitation of the movement. The majority of this powder cocaine is processed into smokeable crack cocaine and sold on the street. Even in that trade young people are not much involved.

We found that while there are exceptions, the individuals working in the cocaine trade are primarily more mature men and women while most young people, if they are involved in “drugs” at all are more likely to be involved in the petty selling and use of cannabis.

There are crack dealers who will barter any stolen item for a rock or two of crack. It is the reason there is so much petty thieving, the crack for goods exchange. How these goods traded for crack are disposed of is unclear but it is commonly thought that stolen goods are purchased by individuals unconcerned with the origin of the goods.

Concurrently and perhaps more pertinent to the focus of this report is the “petty” trade in cocaine that goes on between Saint Lucia and Martinique. When cocaine is landed in Saint Lucia for onward movement, some of the pure powder remains behind as an “in kind” payment to the entity or individual that facilitates the transit. Most of this “in kind” cocaine is boiled up with baking soda into its smokable base, commonly referred to as “crack” or “crack cocaine” for sale in the local market. The proceeds of these local sales are dispensed to the various players who helped move the cocaine through Saint Lucia. Much of this is purchased in small “bulk” packages for resale as “rocks” throughout Saint Lucia. Some of this crack is transported by individuals, on their person, into Martinique for sale on the local Martiniquais market. Females tend to be the preferred carriers. Critical to the challenge of reducing this trade are the strong family bonds that appear to obligate non-drug engaged individuals to assist family

10 members with these “petty” movements. While this assistance may originate out of family obligation, it is often not without some financial reward for the courier, compounding the issue, mixing clan loyalties and income generation.

Despite most of the cocaine being converted into crack, some of the powder remains in its original state for use primarily among the upper classes. Powder cocaine is rarely seen on the street. The researcher regularly asked persons if they have ever even seen powder cocaine. The consistent response was “no”.

Cannabis Trafficking, Sales and Youth

Cannabis originates in Saint Vincent or Saint Lucia. What is not needed for local consumption is exported. Our transhipment trade mainly originates in St Vincent to the south and our export mainly to Martinique to the north to take advantage of its higher sale value in Euros. It moves primarily on local fishing pirogues. It is self financed by independent operators or informal consortiums that come together to bulk purchase cannabis for resale. Young men are involved in this trade as an economic activity and a means to obtain high quality cannabis for their own use.

By most accounts, Martiniquais view Vincentian cannabis as superior to that of Saint Lucia. The challenge for Vincentian cannabis traffickers who move the cannabis from the beachhead in northern Saint Vincent to Martinique is the language issue. The language of Saint Vincent is English with a deep English based creole. The language of Martinique is French based Kweyol and French. This language issue creates an opportunity for the bi-lingual Saint Lucians to enter this trade as translators and often middle men acting, and in some cases as broker, speaking English to the Vincentians to arrange the purchase in Saint Vincent and using their Kweyol to speak to the buyers in Martinique to arrange delivery.

Intersection of Cocaine and Cannabis Trafficking

The issue of the possible intersection of the cannabis and cocaine trade has been a topic of interest among researchers and law enforcement for the past 3 decades. It has always been assumed that the illicit nature of each product would create a commonality in transport and distribution. Our research found this assumption to not to be true. Small scale independent cannabis traffickers reported that they avoid contact with the professional, violent cocaine traffickers and their product movements. When “a ting” (a shipment of cocaine) is to be landed in a certain area, “everyone” gets to know, and everyone “who is smart” stays away.

11 The research showed that while there have been a few interdictions that seized both cannabis and cocaine together the vast bulk of the cocaine moving through Saint Lucia does so independently from cannabis.

There remains inadequate data on operational structures of the intersection of the cannabis and cocaine, trafficking, wholesale distribution networks and retail sales.

Instigators of Violence

In Saint Lucia and I would venture the wider Caribbean there is a distinction between violent behaviour considered morally repulsive that is criminalized and punishable by the state, such as murder and rape, and violent behaviour that is also criminalized but that enjoy the approval of large sections of the population. Examples of the latter include most extrajudicial killings of “bad boys”, corporal punishment of children, domestic and gender based violence and homophobic violence.

The findings of our research show that the Cannabis trade and retail markets are largely non-violent. A culture of violence prevails in the cocaine trafficking and the retail sale networks with enforcement deadly. In contrast to prevailing thought, internecine violence in the ghettos outside Castries is rare. There are very few dynamics that result in violent altercations in the ghetto. When interviewees were asked what would instigate violence in their community (ghetto) the overwhelming response was that the preponderance of violence that takes place in the ghetto is a reaction to heavy handed incursions by the police. Often those sorties are associated with cannabis interdictions. Drug control operations by the police are fierce in their hunt for illicit substances. Many individuals interviewed related stories of the police aggressively confiscating cannabis and other drugs but not making arrests. It is commonly believed that the drugs confiscated would be put back into the market place by civilian accomplices of the uniforms. We were unable to obtain any proof of this statement but heard it so often repeated that it became difficult not to accept that such events had, on occasion, occurred. Most of the young men I spoke with related that they would try to be respectful to the police knowing that confrontation was futile but despite that restraint, the police regularly used degradation and excessive force in their interactions with them.

Those interviewed related that for the most part the police were consciously disrespectful and provocative, that the police made a point of exhibiting their tyrannous power over the ghetto, arriving in force, in battle dress and with automatic weapons drawn. Dogs are killed with the least provocation. It was related by many that when the police are challenged with the legality of their actions, the statement “I am the law” was often uttered by the police. Recently a

12 sweetie and fruit stand run by some of the ghetto young men to earn a livelihood was ordered torn down by the police. This was adjacent to two other women vendors whose shops were built over the public gutter in the road. The act of removing the one vendor and not the other two was an example of the unequal and targeted harassment of young men who are attempting to be self supporting in an economy unable to provide them formal employment opportunities.

Perceived “disrespect” was the other major cause of violence in the ghetto. This may be due to the general lack of respect that these young men get from the authorities and by society in general. Whatever the root cause, there exists a code of respect that guides ghetto life interactions. When man has nothing, no material goods, poor housing, no job all he is left with is his respect which he jealously guards. Even the everyday ghetto greeting of bumping fists with the right hand and then one thump on the chest while simultaneously saying the word “respect” is a salute of respect. It is believed that this salute originated from the sign language sign meaning “I give you my heart and peace”.5

Following a far second is violence associated with alcohol use. When probed for other vectors of violence, respondents reported that alcohol use had the tendency to lead to violent altercations. Alcohol induced clashes over women were the 2nd most common cause of violence. One respondent quoted the deceased American rapper Tupac Shakur, when “hoes get horny, niggaz die”. (translated as: when females get horny, black men die). This was followed by violence as a response to disrespect or violent retribution for property crime.

A Modern Time of Terror

The word “terrorism” has its origins in the French Revolution. During the “Reign of Terror,” terror was used as an instrument of state policy to save the nation from anarchy. In 1793 the French State sanctioned terror to eliminate counterrevolutionary elements in the population. “Terror is nothing but justice, prompt, severe and inflexible”6. By deed if not by word, this quote is indicative of the actions of modern day security forces and the beliefs of some sections of the community, who believe that killing “gang members” is the most efficient way to solve the crime and drug problem.

In 2011 the then Saint Lucia Prime Minister, sought to use similar methods to save the country from gang war and violence. It is alleged that the security forces resorted to extra-judicial killings to eliminate those deemed to be part of the criminal element. The police killings were always framed as gang related, drug crimes, using the control of drugs as the as reason for the extreme use of force.

5 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_it_mean_to_hit_your_chest_with_your_fist_and_make_the_peace_sign Accessed 24 Feb 2013 6http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Maximilien_Robespierre

13 There had been a consistent three to four individuals killed by police throughout the first decade of the 21st century. In 2011 that exploded to 12 police killings. I have heard key informants refer to 2011 as “the times of the killings”. It was for all practical purposes a modern reign of terror. There was a record of 54 homicides in 2011 which included the 12 killings by the police and one killing by an armed uniformed security guard. This was a 3 fold increase in police related homicides from the previous year. Interestingly enough 2011 was also an election year and the party in power was determined to win on a law and order platform.

Police Commissioner Vernon Francois, who has denied that law enforcement officials were engaged in extra-judicial killings, reiterated a warning to criminals that the police will not allow crime to get out of hand, according to the Caribbean Media Corporation. “Rest assured that my department is not letting up in the fight to restore confidence to law abiding citizens of this country by making it safe for them to live,” he said, according to CMC7.

It was rumoured that there was an official list of criminal elements that would not be missed if they were killed in police actions. The most extreme of these, the killing in Vieux Forth of 5 young men from La Clery and the environs. The police alleged that they were caught in the act of robbing a business and shots were exchanged, no police officers were injured and all 5 men were shot, 4 died immediately and one survivor died while being cared for in the government hospital where it was rumoured that he was later executed to keep him from talking. Whether or not the hit list is true, it is clear that police were on the offensive in 2011. It should be noted that no police officer was wounded in any of the events that lead to the police homicides in 2011. The alleged firearm used by the perpetrators was only presented to the inquest in February 2013 and the residents of La Clery continue to hold that robbery was not the intention of the trip and that no one was armed.

As the chart shows, 2007 was an anomaly with a greatly reduced number of homicides that year. 2007 was the first full year of the UWP government in power and there was much condemnation of the lax nature of the previous government. After the election a truce was brokered by the newly elected Member of Parliament from Castries central, Mr Richard Frederick. Mr Frederick built his reputation as a defence attorney who has represented many of the individuals alleged to be involved in the cocaine trade. He is well known and respected by many of the criminal element for his able defence of their legal issues. The truce was short lived and the homicide rate returned to the average and actually began to creep up year by year

7 http://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/archives/05/14/questions-grow-in-st-lucia-over-police-killing-of-five-suspected- bandits/

14 After the general election at the end of November 2011 and the installation of the SLP government, there was a change in the police tactics authorized by the previous government and word on the street was that the “hunting license” granted the police had been revoked. It was rumoured that the police were frustrated by the lack of the sanctioning of their “actions” but the pledge by the government to prosecute members of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force for any wrong doing curbed overt acts of violence. There was a decline in murders in 2012 as well as an improvement in the number of homicide cases solved during 2012. Interestingly enough the RSLPF web site stopped publishing crime statistics in 2007 and has not been updated since.’

Official figures show 44 murders were committed in 2012, down from the record 54 in the previous year. The following statistics were provided by an unnamed source at the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force that responded to a face book request for data.

Homicides 2006 - 20128  2006 43 homicides including 4 police related incidents  2007 27 homicides including 2 police related incidents  2008 39 homicides including 3 police related incidents  2009 39 homicides including 2 police related incidents  2010 48 homicides including 4 police related incidents  2011 52 homicides including 12 police related incidents, 1 security guard incident  2012 44 homicides including 4 police related incidents, 2 security guard incidents

Homicide Analysis Saint Lucia 2006-2012

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Civilian Homicides Police Homicides Security Guard Homicides

8 ROYAL SAINT LUCIA POLICE FORCE https://www.facebook.com/#!/messages/113865878626387

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2011 and 2012 were the first two years where homicides were disaggregated by including individuals killed by security guards. This trend is worrisome in that the proliferation of firearms to private security firms creates another vector for firearms to get into the community. This has become so problematic that the Institute of International Relations and The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, undertook a regional symposium in 2010 to investigate the proliferation of firearms through private security companies. Substantiation of this proliferation are the firearm deaths for two alleged perpetrators by armed security guards. Of the 44 homicides reported in 2012, four were police shootings and two were security shootings. Police said all the police and security shootings are pending inquest.

It is interesting to note that more then one respondent commented that the major problems they had were with the younger, new police offices and that the older ones were often more civil in their interactions.

Entry into the culture of criminality through criminal justice contacts

The vast majority of young people, of whom this report is the focus, have minimal contact with transnational organised criminal networks. This remains true as long as they remain un-incarcerated. It was often reported that a young man’s first criminal justice contact was associated with his cannabis use. Much of this 1st contact originated at the behest of the school system where zero tolerance for “drugs” (read cannabis) and a policy of involving the police, starts the young person on a path of continued criminal justice contacts and involvement.

The movement of people through Saint Lucia

There is evidence of the illicit movement of people from Saint Lucia into Martinique. Saint Lucians who are so inclined find it easily to enter Martinique without clearing French immigration. Haitian nationals’ intent on ultimately relocating to metropolitan France will land in Saint Lucia on a commercial airline9 for onward movement. Again, due to the commonality of the Kweyol language, Saint Lucians are used to “host” these migrants until they are transported to Martinique via fishing boat. We were unable to determine “gang” links but it was clear that there is “transnational” coordination in moving individuals through Saint Lucia and into Martinique. The people and business involved in this are again

9 Via LIAT, using a route SDQ/ANU/SLU, the same routing as sex workers from the Dominican Republic. Dominica is also a vector for Haitian nationals to enter France via Guadeloupe. Administratively this is easier as Dominica has no visa entry requirements. Many Haitians who sought transit through Dominica have settled their and have revitalized the agricultural sector to the benefit of the national diet but also the export of fresh produce to other islands such as Antigua.

16 made of mature adults and not associated with youth gangs, crime or violence while here in Saint Lucia.

Issue 2: The proximity to St. Vincent and the indigenous cannabis cultivation will allow us to explore the dynamic of stolen goods for cannabis exchanges if they exist.

It was reported that stolen goods are regularly traded in Saint Vincent for cannabis. The main item of barter is bulk food. Pilfered and stolen food stuffs ends up in the isolated cannabis fields of Saint Vincent were it is bartered for cannabis. A recent trade that took place bartered 2 20lb bales of peas, corn meal, ½ sack flour, sugar and rice, big tin of Nido, for 80 pounds of cannabis.

It was reported that stolen motorcycles are bartered for cannabis as are stolen horses.

Cannabis and Criminality

The current national situation is grim: high unemployment rates10 among young males resulted in large blocks of idle young men with a limited skill set to provide for their daily upkeep. Compounding the employment challenge is the zero tolerance attitude of the police toward public cannabis use and the high percentage of cannabis user among this population of idle young men who regularly populate along the sides of roads, in the shade occasionally smoking a spliff.

Penalties for students who are caught with cannabis at school or in uniform are stringent and are dealt with by suspension or even expulsion if over the age of 16. It has become standard procedure for the school authorities to call the police in the case of a “drug” offense, often cannabis related. This event then often becomes that student’s first criminal justice contact with all the implications of the stigma associated with being an offender. Young cannabis offenders are also seen to bring the attention of the police to the whole family and this is highly discouraged. Many children who bring this unwanted attention down on their families are asked to leave the protection of the home, further contributing to the flight from country to city. Conversely the same criminal justice contact that causes societal stigma will meet with peer approval as almost a rite of passage. In the past it has not been uncommon for parents who have the financial means11 to send a school age young men for treatment for cannabis use to the Government run treatment programme. Over the years young male in school uniform have been seen waiting for the bus outside the residential drug treatment

10 of 62% among males aged 15 to 19, and 36% in the 20 – 24 age group 11 A fee of XCD $1500 a month is assessed by the Ministry of Health for residential treatment at Turning Point, the government run treatment programme.

17 programme Turning Point, where they have been mandated by family for their cannabis use. Repeat offenders may be court remanded to the Boys Training Centre for their own “care and protection” when families tire of the cannabis related police contacts.

A CICAD funded school survey on drug and alcohol use conducted by the Government of Saint Lucia reported that 43.4% of the males in the 17 – 20 year old cohort12 reported a life time use of Cannabis, with 31% males reporting use in the past year and 19.8% in the past month. These figures reflect males who were currently enrolled in a formal educational programme as the survey was only conducted in the secondary schools and the “A” Level College. Out of school youth and older males within the age group were not included in the sample frame. The author postulates that the prevalence of cannabis use for unemployed young men will be higher, if merely for the lack of an other occupation.

Cannabis use is illegal in Saint Lucia and its use, while widespread, is highly stigmatised and its possession, criminalized. Drug law enforcement targets public cannabis use, which is the predominant method of consumption of street engaged young men or as they are often referred to “boys of the block”. As mentioned previously and bears repeating for emphasis, this contact with the criminal justice system, initially for cannabis, heavily contributes to the down ward spiral into the world of criminality by exposure and forced association.

The dynamics of how cannabis contributes to the growth of young male urban migration is complex. We postulate that social stigma surrounding cannabis use is a major contributor to the dislocation of young males. This stigma is perpetrated by drug prevention programmes that demonised cannabis use far in excess to any attributable physical harms associated with it’s use.

There is much distrust of the police by the community. Undue attention on the family by the authorities is actively discouraged. Stigma from police contacts and pressure from the family, for having brought police attention on them are major contributory factors for the migration of young men who smoke cannabis. These young men take refuge in “cannabis friendly” spaces mostly located in what is commonly refered to as a “ghetto”

Findings in a recent prison study conducted in Saint Lucia in 2012 revealed that the lifetime prevalence of marijuana use by first time offenders (remand or convicted) was 76.5%13. For the recidivists (remand or convicted), the lifetime prevalence of marijuana use was 85.7%14. Regardless of any harms or benefits that may or may not be attributable to cannabis use, just the mere act of using

12 National Survey on Substance Abuse Among Students Attending Secondary School, Saint Lucia 2005 http://www.cicad.oas.org/oid/caribbean/2007/St_%20Lucia%20School%20Survey.pdf Accessed 16 January 2013 13 alcohol 59.3%, crack cocaine 3.5% 14 alcohol 57%, crack cocaine 11.8%

18 Cannabis in an environment of strict cannabis law enforcement contributes to the growth of a pool of young men whose initial exposure to criminality was their public use of cannabis. The profile of the participants of this prison study is representational of the same underclass of marginalized, undereducated young men at the focus of this report. o 65.7% of the prisoners surveyed fall in the age group 16 – 35, o 31% never completed primary school and an o additional 44% never completed secondary school

Cannabis Cultivation and sales in Saint Lucia and Youth Involvement

Saint Lucia has its own indigenous, diverse, diffused, vibrant, cannabis cultivation industry. In the relatively small geographical area of any ghetto community, a willing buyer will find many different willing sellers often with identifiably different strains and types of cannabis for sale. Findings from a survey of cannabis markets conducted from April to July 2012 in the north of showed the wide variety of cannabis cultivation in Saint Lucia. A visual inspection of cannabis products offered for sale at various “cannabis markets” found a variety of strains with many identifiably different types of cannabis for sale in a relatively small geographical area.

The local cannabis trade is more diffused the cocaine sales, with more products from diverse suppliers. Territories are more fluid and rely on personal contact more then location. As a business model “you check your partners” for sales as sales persons move around selling cannabis. Young men are very much involved in the sale or brokering of cannabis (as are older persons and females).

An interesting thread in the conversations were discussions of the been the proliferation of small scale, decentralized cannabis production as a consequence of having a group of idle cannabis using young men with agricultural skills. Cannabis cultivation takes place in the same mysterious mountains and isolated valleys used for centuries as a place of refuge for brigands. These modern day “brigs” have turned their skill set into an agricultural occupation designed to replace income lost due to the contraction of banana cultivation. This reliance on cannabis cultivation is widespread. The press regularly reports on police eradication exercises. Occasionally police wound a farmer, it is rare that farmers return fire or have firearms. Many times the fields are discovered and the crop destroyed but not one arrested. Since we have been tracking this for 18 months we have noticed no appreciable difference in the supply of cannabis for sale, irrespective of the interdictions conducted.

There is little effort to view cannabis cultivation from an agricultural lens. With an agriculture lens we view the farmers as just that, a farmer who is growing a crop with a ready cash value in which he or she can feed their family and pay their bills. If the product is problematic to the State then the state should embrace

19 alternative development projects to provide alternative cropping and markets for the participating farmers.

The State continues to view these farmers as criminal drug dealers requiring intense police interdiction efforts. This is an example of a response possibly appropriate to much more violent cocaine trade being applied to the much less violent cannabis trade. Most farmers of cannabis do not have firearms and yet police, reluctant to take a chance, arrive at eradications exercises heavily armed and weapons at ready. Because of the present environment it is sad to note that most of the violence around cannabis is perpetrated by the police in an effort to carry out “drug control” efforts.

So widespread is cannabis cultivation in Saint Lucia that during the recent 2012 Christmas holidays, local cannabis sellers were giving a “double bonus”, amounting to twice the usual quantity of cannabis for the same five dollars. Interestingly enough, sellers offered this holiday “double bonus” despite the eradication of over 8000 cannabis plants on two large plantations in the weeks preceding Christmas. What is apparent is that despite the interdiction efforts by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, there was no identifiable impact on the availability or price of cannabis on the local market.

Money Laundering and Youth Involvement

Given the application of money laundering laws that inhibit small time cannabis cultivators from changing foreign currencies into EC dollars, Vincentian farmers and cannabis traffickers prefer, when possible, to make their sales in EC (XCD) dollars making inter OECS trade preferable in that regard. The next currency of choice is the US Dollars. The exchange rate of US dollar is fixed to the EC dollar, and the US dollar is widely accepted and easily spent in shops. Euros earned in Martinique have high value but are not as easily exchanged and subjected to fluctuations in the exchange rates.

Farmers related the difficulty of exchanging foreign currency saying that they were forced to conduct there FX trades with legitimate business houses. Those “informal” exchange rates are well below the official FX rates thus adding to the carrying costs. Business houses engaged in this business have staff members whose main job is to make cash bank deposits of less then XCD $10,000, to the bank for processing. This bank courier service is one employment opportunity open to young men.

Money laundering regulations are onerous to the farmer and small scale seller and easily ignored by the larger more organized criminal elements, who set up retail storefront operations and legitimate bank accounts in which the proceeds of the drug transactions are deposited. It was regularly implied that the banks were

20 complicit in this trade and worked purely to the letter of the law. Cash deposits under 10k are rarely scrutinised.

Young Males and Females and their involvement in gangs

Issue 3: Determine the level of involvement of youth in gangs (if possible also detailing the level and form of female involvement),

In 1991 Carl Rogers wrote about the sustaining nature of gangs. His observations were made in reference to the US but have relevance here. He noted that “gangs today are strong and thriving institutions in a part of the world where every other institution, including family, school and church, has crumbled”. He further states that: “joining a gang will provide an adolescent boy with some measure of protection” and that “gangs have taken over another function formerly held by the family”15. This is especially true in the context of the ghetto where poor, poorly educated, criminalised youth look to “the village” for support and guidance.

This quote from 1985 attributed to an American researcher16 and referencing the American urban context could be applied wholesale to the modern reality of gangs in Saint Lucia “In general, high crime rates, limited legitimate business activity and/or employment opportunities, and poorly functioning public education systems characterize communities of the underclass” with “generational and familiar criminality, domestic violence, physically or sexually”

Our findings show that there is very limited involvement by youth or, for that matter, older individuals in “gangs” as defined by international standards. That is not to say, Saint Lucia does not have associations of individuals commonly referred to as “crews” who are supportive of each other and on various levels engage in or become involved in criminal activity. Criminal activity, other then cannabis use, is far less widespread then is popularly believed. What we found was that a many of young “street engaged” out of school, unemployed, internal migrants, congregate in groups for a support, similar to the clan/extended family left behind in rural villages.

Females play ancillary role in these groupings. There are some distinct groupings. One such group are the sexual partners of the young men in the group. By all indications the common assertion that females are passed around between the males for sexual gratification is erroneous. Respect for a fellow crew member’s “gyal” is crucial for the avoidance of violence within the group. There exists a code of honour among the young men when it comes to involving

15 Rogers, C., Children in Gangs, UNESCO Courier, October 1991 16 Coplon, 1985,

21 themselves with “the woman” of his friends. More so when perceived disrespect may lead to violence.

Another sub group are the female friends of the sexual partner” and neighbourhood girls who like to smoke weed. These girls may or may not be available for sexual liaison. If they are available there will usually be some transactional exchange though not necessarily cash.

Young women also use their position around young men to extract small favours and perks “just for being female”. A cute young woman can expect to get “a five dollars” out of almost any male that is asked. As noted elsewhere women initiated or instigated violence is one of the distinct causes of violence in the ghetto. Also women are often at the core of homophobic violence, encouraging males to “defend their manhood” by beating the homosexual.

Percentage of Criminality vs. Non Criminal Activities of Youth Gangs

Issue 4: Determine the level / percentage of criminality vs. non criminal activities of youth gangs

With the exception of the illicit use of cannabis, the levels of criminality in these youth crews are minimal. Cannabis use, possession, cultivation and trading are the major criminal activity these young men and interestingly enough women, engage in. If cannabis were de-penalised, the level of crime and incarceration would drop dramatically.

The majority of the young men the team spoke with were in survival mode, poorly housed, under-fed, under-educated, unemployed, seeking on a daily basis to scratch out a living for themselves and families. Crime as such, was reported to be more of survival and “of opportunity” then by design or pre-meditation.

It is fascinating to note that the one main legitimate occupation open to these young men is in the “security” field, an industry spawned by the very fear of crime inspired by these “ghetto boys”. The workforce profile of private security guards are old men and young unemployed males. There was not one male over the age of 21, interviewed for this report that had not worked at some point as a security guard, all of whom my be characterised by the moniker “ghetto boys”. One owner of a popular pizza restaurant said she refused to hire security guards because as far as she was concerned, “they are the very thieves that “case” your business and come back or send their friends to steal from you later”.

Between 2010 and 2011, the US state of California recorded a 20 percent decrease in juvenile crime, bringing the underage crime rate to the lowest level

22 since the state started keeping records in 1954. According to a recently released study, much of that improvement can be credited to the decriminalization of marijuana. The study's authors discount a host of explanations as to why juvenile crime has dropped so precipitously (such as changes in the way the statistics are gathered, demographic changes, harsher sentences acting as a deterrent and other cultural factors like family connections). They assert that only two major factors explain the trend: the loosening of marijuana laws and improvements in the economic well-being of California's youth.17

Recommendations for reducing criminality among young people

 De-penalise cannabis use and possession  Augment the education of young males with alternative educational opportunities such as CARE and the National Skills Development Centre  Create micro economic activities that would allow young men to legitimately earn a decent wage.

Implementation of these 3 strategies would make great strides in increasing citizen security and reducing youth criminality.

Issue 5: To examine the reasons why youth are attracted to gang culture (with a view to determining what gaps are filled by gang membership)

The collapse of the banana industry and the migration of males with basic literacy and numeracy skills to Castries lead to the growth of an underclass of internal migrants with modest educational achievements, who were unprepared for a career in the formal sector let alone the growing tourism industry. For reasons previously covered these internal migrants congregated in “ghettos” resulting in high concentrations of unemployment and poverty and poor housing options. The feelings of dislocation brought on by a separation from the extended family and support systems of the “village” were mitigated by the sense of belonging with their adopted crew.

There is also safety in numbers. When asked about why young men congregate one key informant from La Clery said: “Once you’re “strapped” (you have no job, money or hope) you will find a “clan” – more food and more ‘firepower’”. Despite the illusion to firearms, this term “firepower” referred more to strength or protection then actual weaponry.

Involuntary Returnees (aka: Deportee)

17 Males, Mike 2012. California Youth Crime Plunges to All-Time Low. San Francisco: Centre On Juvenile and Criminal Justice http://www.cjcj.org/files/CA_Youth_Crime_2011.pdf

23 Issue 9: To examine the role of deportees in gangs, if any. The role of involuntary returnees in youth gangs did not appear to be an issue as we encountered no comments in this area in our discussions.

The returnee population was not represented among the youth we spoke with and while it is commonly alleged has little influence with the youth issues we were investigating. This lack of influence from the deportee population seems to be rooted more in terms of the relative age of the deportee population, who tend to be older, and therefore have less influence on the youth under investigation. There are no data on the age of deportees for Saint Lucia but using Jamaica as an example almost 65% of the individuals who were deported were over age 30 with the average age at deportation being 34 years old.

In our street work with homeless crack users, a very different population then the one under study we regularly encountered homeless persons who had been involuntarily repatriated to Saint Lucia. The profile of those that participated in our study fit the Jamaica profile cited above.

24 Saint Lucia an Overview

Saint Lucia is an independent country located in the Eastern Caribbean. It became independent from Britain in 1979. It is the most populated and developed of the independent countries of the Windward or Leeward Islands and is a member and the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). In the 2010, Saint Lucia preliminary census report, the total population was estimated to be 173,720 (est) resident and non- resident citizens (Central Statistics Office, 2010). The country has a land mass of 619 square kilometres. The official language spoken is English; however, French based Kweyol is the cradle language of a majority of the population, giving the country a francophone flavour.

With an abundance of French family names, as well as the names of villages, it is clear that Saint Lucia was also colonised by the French and enjoys a shared francophone heritage with fellow OECS member country, Dominica. Post- independence from Britain saw Saint Lucia forging stronger trade relationships with France. Consequently its citizens access Martinique visa free, for purposes of trade. Over the years many Saint Lucians have migrated to Martinique for employment. Roman Catholicism was the predominant religion of Saint Lucia with 92% of the population belonging to that Church in 1960. This has dropped to less then 60% Roman Catholic in 2011 due to the growth in fundamentalist, evangelical Christian denominations.

Saint Lucia has a parliamentary system of representative governance. The Governor General, Dame Pearlette Louisy, is the representative of the Queen of England, who is the Head of State. Political power rests with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers. Since independence this power has alternated between the 2 main political parties, the United Worker’s Party (UWP) and the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) who currently holds the marjority of seats in Parliament.

The 2011 Human Development indicators rank Saint Lucia as a high human development country, with a ranking of 82 out of 187 countries. Life expectancy at birth is 74.6 years and expected years of schooling increased by 2.8 years18 .

The economy, from the 1960’s through the boom years of 1990’s was primarily driven by the banana industry. This has gradually changed and is currently focused on tourism as the major foreign exchange earner. However, in recent years this sector has experienced a high degree of stress and strain from external events that are beyond the controllable of the State. The world wide economic downturn in 2008 combined with the unpredictability of hurricanes leaves this and other Caribbean nations vulnerable to forces well beyond their control

18 UNDP Human Development Report, 2011

25

Poverty in Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia has high levels of poverty – 25.1% in 199519 growing to 28.8% in 2005/0620 with over 50% of the poor under the age of 20 and 39% in the age group 0 – 14 years. Households with single parents were more likely to be at risk of being poor. The cycle of poverty had an effect on this population ability to access employment opportunities Many of those with primary level education who were able to secure employment received lower wages, and were more likely to secure seasonal, temporary employment then those with secondary level education or above.

The incidence of poverty among men is slightly higher than among women, 29% and 25% respectively. To alleviate some negative effects of poverty, the Government provides limited social services. There is an extensive system of primary health care facilities21 throughout Saint Lucia that are staffed by dedicated and competent “community nurses”. Excellent free pre-natal care has kept maternal and infant mortality low. There is universal primary education, which, while “free”, is not without associated costs for uniforms, books, supplies, breaks and lunch and transportation. With the advent of prevention interventions designed to control the transmission of HIV, the rise in sexual and reproductive health information and interventions22 and the availability of condoms have resulted in falling fertility rate and despite the poverty, an increasing life expectancy among the population. It is unclear if these gains in community health and increased life expectancy will survive the economic downturn that has characterized the economy since 2008.

In 2005, unemployment estimated at 17% was a significant decrease from over 20% in the late 1990s. This decrease in unemployment can be attributed to increased employment in the construction sector to expand the infrastructure needed for not only the tourism industry but also commercial development. It is widely believed that much of the locally financed construction was and remains a a convenient way to launder money. In the lead up to the 2007 elections, Sir John Compton, the former prime minster and candidate identified as Prime Minister should his party be victorious, noted that "drugs and money laundering" accounts for over 25 per cent of St Lucia's economy"23. A charge vehemently denied by the Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Sir Dwight Venner.

19 Kairi Consultants Limited, 1995 20 Kairi Consultants Limited, 2007 21 36 primary health care facilities for a population of 165,000 22 Illicit abortions preformed by licensed physicians are available for a fee that is outside the reach of many young women. Unwanted pregnancies could be avoided if abortions were free and available. 23 http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19235859_ITM accessed 20 Feb 2013

26 Decline of Bananas and Internal Migration

Saint Lucia’s main foreign exchange earner in the period 1960 - 1990s was agriculture. It was generally accepted at that time that by the term “agriculture” people would have meant bananas, or “green gold”, as it were. This was an industry that provided a country wide, steady, weekly, large cash infusions into the local economy. In 1994, in a meeting I attended, the head of the Saint Lucia Banana Growers Association related that it was estimated that 70% of revenue earned from the export of bananas (aka “banana money”) circulated at least once in the economy before being used to purchase foreign inputs. This banana “industry” brought with it a diffusion of employment opportunities for the young men living in the rural districts who would not carry on their formal education past primary level and sought gainful employment.

Lera Pascal wrote on the economic benefit of bananas, “The impact of the banana industry soon became very visible on the St Lucian landscape particularly in the rural areas. Even small peasants were able to purchase land, build decent houses and have a good standard of living. They could afford to send their children to colleges and universities locally and overseas. This prosperity filtered through the entire economy and gave the island much vibrancy as infrastructure and superstructures were put in place to meet the needs of people.”24

With the end of preferential access to the UK market and subsequent decline in banana production, many of the young men from the rural “banana belts” moved toward the “city” and tourist belt in search of employment opportunities.

When comparing data from the past 3 census (1991, 2001, 2011) it is clear that as the economic power of the banana industry waned, the steady flow of internal migrants from the rural communities of the south to touristic areas of the north and to a lesser extent Vieux Fort and Soufriere, continued unabated. While the population declined in the banana belt (and interestingly enough urban Castries) during this period, the growth of population in suburban and rural Castries and the district of Gros Islet corresponded to the loss of employment opportunities in the banana industry and the rise of tourism as the key economic activity.

Overall the district of Castries accounted for 40 percent of the enumerated population in Saint Lucia’s 2011 Population and Housing Census. This percentage remained the same for 2001 and is slightly higher than the corresponding percentage of 39 percent recorded in 1991. Though Castries overall percentage of the total population remained stable by percentage, in real numbers the actual population of Castries in that period increased by almost 9600 persons

24 http://www.genderandtrade.org/gtinformation/164419/164437/164427/banana_production_in_st_lucia/

27 The district of Gros Islet experienced the greatest percentage increase in population. In 2001, Gros Islet’s population was 54.6 percent more than it was in 1991. This means that, since 1991, Gros Islet’s population has increased by an average of over 5 percent a year. In 1991, census figures reported Gros Islet was the least densely populated district in Saint Lucia at that time. By 2011 Gros Islet has a population of 25,210 which was almost twice the population of 1991.

Beginning in the mid 1980s Saint Lucia experienced the dual processes of contraction and expansion. As the banana industry was contracting and jobs were lost, the tourism industry was growing and attracting migrants from the farms. Saint Lucia transformed from a quiet rural island of banana farms, fishing villages, mysterious mountains and hidden valleys to a much sought after “undiscovered tropical paradise” destination. Rodney Bay was dredged, a marina constructed, the Causeway to Pigeon Island was built and tourism on the northwest coast took off in earnest.

While tourism did create new employment opportunities and foreign exchange earnings, the contrast with “banana money” was evident: the uneven distribution of new jobs and a contraction of the “cash” circulating in the local economy.

The unavailability of cash was the most evident effect of this contraction. Even while tourism income increased the national coffers, the impact of that cash infusion on the local populace, especially the rural population was much reduced from what was common during the days of bananas. Banana farmers would line up every Friday with their delivery slips and get paid in cash from the Saint Lucia Banana Growers Association. And with that cash they paid their workers, bought groceries and materials, agricultural inputs and paid bills. The economic benefits that had been wide spread were steadily contracting.

There was a change in the employment profile during this period also. Whereas young males residing in the banana belts were employed as labourers in the banana fields, as the shift from agriculture to tourism took place, many tourism jobs that required greater levels of literacy and greater attention to detail went to females, leaving males underemployed and frustrated. Males and females both left the country side to seek employment in the tourism belt of the northwest. While females found employment opportunities, males were increasingly left idle.

With regard to job creation, many of the young men previously earning a living working in bananas found it challenging to make the transition to tourism. Very few had any skills besides agriculture. This agricultural skill set was difficult to integrate into the “tourism industry” as only so many gardeners were needed. This un-employability of a large portion of males with basic literacy and numeracy skills lead to the growth of an underclass of internal migrants with modest educational achievements, who were unprepared for a career in the formal sector let alone the tourism industry.

28 Young men found themselves without the financial ability support themselves. This meant not only not having funds for food or housing but probably more importantly not having cash in which to secure sexual relations with females. While these transactions are not the overt exchanges of client and sex worker, there is little doubt that a young man with no money is greatly challenged to afford even the simplest of “dates” which require at least chicken meal and a soft drink, maybe a beer or a spliff. So compounding the general economic dislocation was the inability to attract female sexual companionship. the pursuit of material means as a way of securing sex is an important motivator for young men to be tempted into illegal activities as a source of livelihood.

Some of these young men found their way into the ghetto areas that usually lie adjacent to more middle class communities. Their lives largely revolve around scratching out a living on a daily basis by providing manual unskilled labour. They are available to do any job, which in the colloquial is called “bounce and draw” employment. It is these young male internal migrants who congregate in ghetto areas, known for their high concentrations of unemployment, poverty and poor housing options. There is also an undercurrent of dislocation brought on by a separation from the extended family and support systems of the “village”.

Where poverty is high and food scare many young men who are not contributing to the wellbeing and support of the household are “encouraged” to seek gainful occupation elsewhere. This is particularly common in what can be characterized as an “alpha male” struggle between a post pubescent male child and his mother’s new “boyfriend”. The economic necessity of needing support from the new boyfriend also contributes to sending the boy out of the nest. Also contributing to homelessness is the attention of the police. A section of the population lives in fear of the police and so to avoid the attention of the police, the offenders is encouraged to seek other accommodations. His refuge becomes his mates and we observe a common modern day meshing of the ancient French rallying call of “Fraternité” and the modern key function of association with a group, to defend one’s mates. The group life provides acceptance, recognition, a sense of belonging, status, power, discipline, structure, shelter, food, clothing, economic support and respect in a cannabis friendly environment.

Females who joined the migration and found employment soon realized two issues: There was a lack of potential male partners who were employed and employed women often want assistance with the bills not supporting an unemployed male. Second was what to do with the children who were unsupervised either at home or on the school grounds while “mommy” was at work. “Latch key” children was a new phenomena in Saint Lucia. The absence of the traditional care givers, the granny, mama or ninun”, who were left behind in the rural villages, another example of the dislocation associated with the internal migration. The lack of supervision of children left unattended after school hours and on weekends resulted in a growing number of unsupervised young people

29 roaming the new bedroom communities without direction from “family, friend or village”.

The Informal Economy as Refuge

The emergence and growth of the informal sector/underground economy has a direct association with low educational achievement, underemployment and high levels of unemployment. The ready markets for cannabis, those who satisfy the needs of the market and those who publically partake are heavily criminalised. This relegates the cannabis trade in Castries into the same “space” both legally and physically as the crack cocaine trade; crack motivated street based sex work, homelessness and petty “thieving”. Cannabis and its users are thus pushed further into the margins of society, spaces that contain other illegal and more violent criminal activities. Cannabis and Crack have become an ongoing economic source for survival in several communities25. The “drug culture” as it has been referred to, is perceived as normative and acceptable behaviour for many young persons who engage in the selling and use of cannabis26 and much of the currency that circulates in the ghettos is derived from the informal sector/underground economy, including the contribution from the local cultivation of cannabis. As there are very few alternatives to this type of economic activity, efforts to eliminate this trade have had very limited success.

As outlined above Saint Lucia is a well-used trans-shipment site for cocaine from South America into Europe through its prime geographical location adjacent to Martinique. Saint Lucia has a small local crack cocaine market that is satisfied with the “skim” that stays behind as highly pure powder cocaine passes through that also contributes to this informal .

25 Kairi Consultants Limited, 2007 26 Kairi Consultants Limited, 2007

30 Conclusions

Crime and violence are a development issue. This is the key message of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Bank 2007 report Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the Caribbean. The report indicated that the high rates of crime and violence in the region have both direct effects on human welfare in the short-run and longer run effects on economic growth and social development.

The CARICOM Action Plan for Social Development and Crime Prevention Endorsed by 12th COHSOD (20Oct10) developed jointly by the UNODC and CARICOM is a comprehensive plan of social development as a form of crime prevention. The original plan underwent rigorous stakeholder consultations and the final document reflects that input.

The Plan may be used as a “menu of options” when looking for social development solutions to “crime” problems. Every issue discussed here will have a corresponding response in the Plan, with the exception of the re-scheduling of cannabis and the removal of criminal justice penalties for its possession and use.

31 Bibliography

CARICOM Action Plan for Social Development abd Crime Prevention, Endorsed by 12th Meeting of the COHSOD - Georgetown, Guyana 18-20 October 2010

Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the Caribbean, World Bank – UNODC report 2007 http://web.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=146736&theSitePK=258554&contentMD K=21320843&noSURL=Y, Accessed 12 October 2012

Causes of the French Revolution, https://classes.lt.unt.edu/Fall_2012/CECS_5110_050/jls0740/Image%20and%20Text.html, accessed on 8 December 2012

Day, M. Meharris, J, Lyons, J., A Comparison of Primary Health Care Needs of Street Out-of- Treatment Drug Using Individuals of Two Caribbean States, St. Lucia and Trinidad, unpublished. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_it_mean_to_hit_your_chest_with_your_fist_and_make_the _peace_sign, Accessed 24 Feb 2013 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/california-marijuana-decriminalization- _n_2205997.html http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19235859_ITM accessed 20 Feb 2013 http://www.genderandtrade.org/gtinformation/164419/164437/164427/banana_production_in_st_l ucia/, accessed 3 December 2012 http://castriescitycouncil.org/fires.htm, accessed 13 December 2012

Kairi Consultants Limited. (2007). Trade Adjustment and Poverty in St. Lucia - 2005/06 Volume 1 Main Report. Barbados: Caribbean Development Bank.

Kairi Consultants Limited. (2007). Trade Adjustment and Poverty in Saint Lucia 2005/2006 Volume II: The Macro-economic and Social Analysis. Barbados: Caribbean Development Bank.

National Survey on Substance Abuse Among Students Attending Secondary School, Saint Lucia 2005 http://www.cicad.oas.org/oid/caribbean/2007/St_%20Lucia%20School%20Survey.pdf, Accessed 16 January 2013

St Lucia Country Poverty Assessment, Kairi Consultants Limited, 1995 http://www.stats.gov.lc/PovertyAssessment1995.pdf

UNDP Human Development Report, 2011

UNODC, 2010, The Prison System and Alternatives to Imprisonment, in Selected Countries of the OECS, Barbados and the Dominican Republic

32 Annex 1 - La Clery - A Case Study

La Clery was one of the first new communities to be built north of the city. It was a community created from the housing needs arising out of the ashes of the 1948 Castries fire27. Northwest of the City, over the Calvary, roads were built through converted farmland and the land subdivided into individual housing lots that were purchased by the leading families of the city. At the bottom of the hill, along the river, a housing estate of government subsidised, attached single story bungalows and bachelors quarters were built.

Due to the bachelor’s quarters there was a transient quality to the CDC28 as the estate was called. This availability of housing attracted young men coming to the city looking for work. As the estate filled up and the need for housing continued, a squatters village of galvanise and plywood homes was built house by house close up to the river. Located behind the formal housing estate this squatter settlement remains occupied up to this day.

The bachelor’s quarters and the squatter village along the river have always had a reputation as dangerous drug invested ghetto. In an effort to solve the problem the government bulldozed the bachelor’s quarters in the mid 90’s. The squatter village remained in tact as did the housing estate that was physically deteriorating. In 2011 the Government renewed efforts to demolish the LaClery CDC community. While the CDC claimed this was to make way for better housing it was admitted that this was primarily for the eradication of the drugs and crime problem. Of course rumours were also rife that the area was to be sold for commercial development. The entire exercise lacked transparency and is an example of how the voice of the small man is ignored, and of a suspect top down approach with little consideration for the community needs.

In reality La Clery while reputed to be lawless, violent and crime ridden is just the opposite. There is a self organisation about the community and a general village feel to it. People watch out for each other and children are reared by the community. Violence is rare, and what is reported usually has a La Clery young man being killed at the hands of the police. Violence usually surrounds police incursions. The police are generally distrusted and seen as an outside instigator of violence. Most of this revolves around cannabis and the enforcement of drug laws on street engaged young men from the ghetto as well as the surrounding community.

An advantage of LaClery’s location was that it’s northeastern border was adjacent to uninterrupted track of “bush” lands that stretched to Babonneau and beyond. This easy access to the bush was attractive to those who’s brigand lifestyle required quick access to refuge in the mountains, allowing for those with

27 http://castriescitycouncil.org/fires.htm 28 Colonial Development Corporation

33 criminal justice issues to slip away un-detected. In 2011, a year of elevated police killings, this route of evasion was available if and when access to the refuge of the mountains was needed.

During the physical and economic migration from bananas to tourism, La Clery maintained its transient role as a place of transition from “country” to city. When asked why young men are attracted to and congregate in La Clery, one key informant “born” La Clery said:

“Once you’re “strapped” you will find a clan – more food and more ‘firepower’”

Despite the use of the “firepower” metaphor, guns are not prevalent in the community and when asked to clarify the speaker stated that he was more referring to safety in numbers rather than actual “firepower”. He also said that while guns were not particularly prevalent, that there were a few of the “real bad boys have pieces”. Another key informant stated he had not seen a gun since his brother was killed by the police in 2011.

Brigandage – an ancient phenomena or a current reality?

The French influence in Saint Lucia began in the 1550s, not surprisingly, by a French pirate Jambe De Bois29 who used a small coastal island perfectly positioned off the north west coast of Saint Lucia to monitor the ships traffic heading north. The French remained entrenched in Saint Lucia even during those times where the British Crown held the Island.

With the advent of the sugar industry in 1765, came the introduction and wholesale importation of African slaves. The racial makeup of the colony radically changed towards a black African majority.

Battles between the French and English continued unabated in the eastern Caribbean. These battles were just a part of a larger conflict historians have called the “French Revolutionary War” (1792-1802). During this period France and England were at almost constant war.

When news of the French Revolution reached the eastern Caribbean it brought with it to the forefront the question of slavery, as slaves from West Africa were the majority of the population of all the islands of the eastern Caribbean. The French revolution and the ideals expounded were incompatible with the institution of slavery. Inspired by the revolution, the resulting uprisings brought an end to the institution of slavery throughout the French colonies of the Caribbean.

Unfortunately the freedom of the former slaves of Saint Lucia was short lived. With the retaking of the capital of Saint Lucia and the re-imposition of the

29 His Christian name was Francois LeClerc but he was known as Jambe de Bois, due to his wooden leg.

34 authority of the British Crown in that city and other population centres, slavery was reinstituted in Saint Lucia in 1794. The reintroduction of slavery was met with violent resistance. Free men did not accept the re-imposition of slavery lightly. What followed was armed resistance, in what became to be known as “the Brigand Wars”. Former slaves, emancipated under the French, took to the hills and became freedom fighters against the British occupation. Known as ‘nèg mawon’ or brigands, these free men and women, along with their French Republican allies controlled much of Saint Lucia from secret settlements in the island’s interior. The British finally crushed the rebellion but the violence persisted and Saint Lucia would be plunged into slavery for another three decades.

Much of the countryside remains little has changed in the interceding 200+ years. To this day the dense forested hills and hidden valleys or “bush” as it is commonly referred to, is utilized by modern day “brigands” to conceal themselves from the state. From these hidden places these brigs are able to “swoop” down and prey upon unsuspecting victims. This happens with regularity to tourist on bush tours and waterfall hikes. One young man who was interviewed for this report and who now works in tourism stated that when tour agencies ask him to do bush tours he regularly declines as he is aware of the ever present danger of being waylaid by the brigs inhabiting the Anse la Ray and Canaries valleys.3031 Our visitor reported:

"... my wife and i were on a cruise out of San Juan on the carnival victory.4-25-10 to 5-2-10 great cruise until April 29 on St.Lucia when we chose a carnival shore excursion. bike and hike to Anse la Raye water falls. we had 14 in our group and 4 were robbed. 2 men came out of the bush, faces covered, one had a machete and one had a pistol. make a long story short. made a police report at anse la ray police dept and then again on the ship. carnival had promised us that the bike and hike shore excursion would be canceled and no longer offered also carnival told us that 2 people were arrested and charged with the hold up. is there any way you can verify this information and let me know? I'm concerned for any other unknowing passengers, thinking that it is a safe excursion.. we came home and googled it and found out that it is a high crime area and that there has been several robbery's at this same water fall ..."

During 2011 when there were a 3 fold increase in police killings, many of the individuals who were alleged to have been on an official government “hit list” hid in the forest or “took to the bush” as is said in the local dialect. One informant commented that many individuals who suspected they may have been on the list were seen passing through the village of AuLeon on their way to refuge in the

30 http://www.cruisebruise.com/Thefts/Norwegian_Dawn_Passengers_Robbed_St_Lucia_November_12_ 2009.html 31 http://www.cruisebruise.com/St_Lucia_Tourist_Robberies_Continue_August_9_2010.html

35 dense forest of the isolated and unpopulated north east Atlantic coast. AuLeon is an isolated hillside community above the Mabouya Valley whose origins lie in the original Brigand Wars and whose residents were unlikely to inform the police of such movements through their community.

Fraternité, ou la Mort! Continues to be the rallying call of these modern day brigs with loyalty to one’s “brother” still the guiding principle. One story told was of a member of the Special Services Unit coming into the La Clery ghetto and reading the hit “list” aloud. The residents, in an effort to forestall violence, poured from their shanties and made their presence known. Many feel violence was averted that day due to the preponderance of witnesses.

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