A high-stakes gathering between top Saint Lucian law enforcement officials and the island nation’s Chamber of Commerce has been hailed as a landmark step forward in the fight against criminal activity, with both parties confirming a shared commitment to deeper cross-sector cooperation to address public safety challenges. The Tuesday meeting, held to align stakeholders on public safety priorities, brought together Police Commissioner Verne Garde and Chamber of Commerce President Nicholas Barnard, who spoke publicly with local outlet St Lucia Times on the outcomes of the session. During the talks, law enforcement leadership formally presented the service’s new 2026-2030 comprehensive anti-crime roadmap, titled 127 Steps to Order, to assembled members of the island’s business community. Commissioner Garde explained that the core goal of the collaborative session was to create clarity around the new strategic plan, give private sector stakeholders space to raise their pressing safety and operational concerns, and lay the foundation for more robust, sustained partnerships between police and local businesses. “We are really trying to bring everybody together,” Garde emphasized, framing the coordinated approach as critical to tackling Saint Lucia’s ongoing crime challenges. Beyond the unveiling of the new 5-year strategy, the meeting provided an open forum for business attendees to raise a range of day-to-day and systemic issues impacting the local private sector. Key concerns put forward during discussions included persistent traffic management difficulties in Castries, the island’s capital, and the northern coastal region, the rollout and implementation of the national driver demerit point system, widespread parking shortages and access issues in high-traffic commercial areas, operational transparency around how routine police checkpoints are managed, and questions around the use of intelligence gathering to investigate and apprehend suspects in serious felony cases. Following the presentations and open forum, Chamber President Barnard shared that business leaders left the meeting feeling optimistic and encouraged by the police force’s clear, actionable plan. He noted that the gathering successfully opened a productive dialogue around concrete ways the private sector can contribute to and support ongoing law enforcement public safety efforts. Barnard confirmed that attendees have already moved forward with preliminary plans to expand cooperation, including widespread support for reviving a joint public-private committee that will include permanent police representation to address ongoing safety and operational challenges. “There will be far more collaboration,” Barnard said of the agreed-upon next steps.