Former Comptroller cites Customs letter proving canine team was active in 2021
CASTRIES, St. Lucia — Peter Chiquot debunks Philip J Pierre in a heated political row over the existence of the St Lucia police K9 program, with the former Comptroller of Customs presenting documentary evidence that contradicts the prime minister’s denial.
Chiquot, who led the Customs and Excise Department in an acting capacity until September 2021, accused Pierre of misleading the public when he told journalist Lissa Joseph that no canine enforcement unit was in place under his administration. The United Workers Party candidate for Castries East said the claim was not only false but an attempt to rewrite the national security record.
Customs letter confirms K9 operations
Peter Chiquot backed his statement with a September 9, 2021, letter addressed to the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority. Signed by him as acting Comptroller, the correspondence confirmed that canine officers were in operation and integrated into Customs’ enforcement framework.
“The Department will be utilizing the services of the National K9 Unit in the execution of this plan,” the letter declared. “The handlers and dogs will be deemed officers for the purposes of these operations and will function alongside the officers of the Customs and Excise Department.”
The letter also required strict supervision of the canine teams, noting: “The personnel from the National K9 Unit, at no time, will be operating within the space outside the presence of the officers of the Customs Department.”
To reinforce accountability, handlers were mandated to follow safety and identification rules. “The Department will ensure that the handlers comply with all safety measures by the wearing of identification and safety gear required for operating within the space,” the directive added.
Chiquot stressed that the initiative was reviewed with the Attorney General and acknowledged by the Office of the Prime Minister before being quietly dismantled.
Chiquot: Pierre knew the unit existed
On social media, Chiquot accused Pierre of deception, pointing to the prime minister’s effort to redefine the term “disband” during his exchange with Joseph.
“If there was no unit, it could not be disbanded,” Chiquot argued, citing Oxford’s definition of the word as “to stop something from operating as a group or to separate or no longer operate as a group.”
“This is the behaviour of a conman,” he added. “The St Lucia police K9 program was disbanded either because it was an initiative of the United Workers Party, or for more sinister reasons.”
Chiquot linked the program’s termination to the rise in St Lucia violent crime since 2021. “Is that the reason our streets have turned red?” he asked, urging the Minister for National Security to confirm the truth about the canine program Pierre inherited.
Fallout and removal from Customs
Chiquot also claimed his defense of the K9 Unit came at a personal cost. One week after the letter was issued, a September 16, 2021, meeting was convened, where he was informed that his appointment as acting Comptroller would not be renewed.
“The prime minister knew very well that there was an active unit, and he did not allow its continuation,” Chiquot wrote.
St Lucia violent crime fuels political firestorm
The debate over the St Lucia police K9 program comes against a backdrop of record homicides and escalating St Lucia violent crime, including incidents such as a broad daylight shooting in Castries. Critics argue that the Pierre administration weakened law enforcement by sidelining initiatives introduced under the United Workers Party.
For opposition figures, the September 9 letter serves as conclusive evidence that a canine enforcement program existed, undermining Pierre’s repeated denials. It also raises broader questions about whether political considerations outweighed national security priorities.
Chiquot’s intervention ensures the issue will remain a flashpoint in the political arena, with crime and governance at the center of public debate. While Pierre has dismissed questions about the program’s existence, the official Customs record points to a different reality, one in which the St Lucia police K9 Unit was active and then deliberately disbanded.
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