Police warn citizens: Don’t buy stolen goods

Saint Lucia police have warned citizens against buying stolen goods, amidst an increase in burglaries.

Sergeant Linus George of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), sounded the warning last night during the MBC television programme, Police Insight.

George explained that most burglaries are committed by persons who are unemployed, although he also said that employed persons are guilty of the offence as well.

He said:

“Why would you buy goods from a guy who is unemployed? He is not working anywhere and he has a laptop. Do not purchase items like that because it is an offence it is an offence – handling stolen goods, and you can be charged for that.”

George also made an appeal to parents.

He urged them to investigate if their children come home with laptop computers, smart phones or other devices which the parents did not purchase.

The CID official asserted that all citizens should report burglaries and other crimes.

He said they should not hold back assuming that reporting stolen goods would be a waste of time.

According to George, the Police conduct searches at times during which items that are suspected to have been stolen are recovered.

He explained that if not report is made then it would be difficult for law enforcers to locate an owner.

Explaining some of the challenges police investigators face, George highlighted the closure of the forensic lab.

Nevertheless he observed that the local police get assistance from elsewhere like Barbados.

He said human resource constraints represented another challenge.

George observed that when burglars are caught, convicted and sent to prison, they return to their old habits upon being released.

He revealed that many of them complain that they cannot get work because society shuts the door on them because of their past convictions.