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In the words of Prefect Cyrille Le Vely, Saint-Barthélemy is "the safest island in the Caribbean". This is an often-repeated fact, but it is precisely this sense of security that is one of the island's main assets. Be that as it may, as required by a circular from Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, each prefect in mainland France and the French overseas territories was asked to carry out a diagnostic study of the territory for which they are responsible. The result was a "plan to restore everyday security". The purpose of this plan is to establish a roadmap for safety. On February 27, Prefect Le Vely presented this document specific to Saint-Barthélemy, in the presence of the colonel of the gendarmerie, the president of the Collectivité territoriale and Senator Micheline Jacques.
First of all, the State representative emphasized the presence of the gendarmerie, whose "ratio per inhabitant is very high", he pointed out. The delinquency rate is also much lower than that recorded in France or on the islands of the West Indies. "But as these figures are small, the slightest increase will be noticed," the prefect reminded us.
"We want to see blue
Among the concerns occupying the minds and activities of both the prefect and the gendarmerie are rising accidentology figures in 2024, as well as intra-family violence, which is being noted with increasing frequency. Although the figures presented in the report show a drop in the number of victims, from 56 in 2023 to 38 in 2024.
Unsurprisingly, the fight against drug trafficking is also high on the list of priorities. In 2024, 111 offences were recorded by the gendarmerie, compared with 64 in 2023, showing an increase in interventions in this area. At the same time, the local court hearings devoted to Saint-Barthélemy cases suggest that the public prosecutor's office no longer wishes to ignore the scale of the circulation and consumption of narcotics, particularly cocaine, on the island. "We want to see blue, it's reassuring", says Prefect Le Vely, referring to the presence of the gendarmerie.
"A police force that works around the clock
The public prosecutor in Basse-Terre, Xavier Sicot, believes that the diagnosis in Saint-Barthélemy "is simple to make, but the response needs to be worked on". He explains: "Seeing blue is reassuring, but having gendarmes behind their screens on judicial investigations is just as important. "He points out that the presence of a sniffer dog at ferry arrivals and at the airport greatly assists the work of the gendarmerie.
The President of the Collectivité, Xavier Lédée, points out that his departments are working to increase the number of territorial police officers, although he warns that "it's complicated". Even so, he assures us that his objective is to have "a police force that runs continuously". He adds: "We have put four million euros on the table to house four additional police officers, and they have been equipped with pedestrian cameras for the past few days. Xavier Lédée also mentions a partnership with the Red Cross to carry out "marauding" operations in neighborhoods to diagnose people who are homeless or living in precarious conditions.
Annoying WhatsApp groups
Senator Micheline Jacques points out that she has been working on a report that will result in six legislative proposals. In particular, the document highlights the need to change the status of local police officers, to give them more room for manoeuvre. However, the difficulty remains the same on Saint-Barthélemy: the cruel lack of manpower.
Finally, Colonel Hugues Loyez is keen to point the finger at the excesses linked to communication groups on WhatsApp. It annoys me on this island," he says. There are loops of more than a thousand people who give a second's warning of checks in progress. We mustn't forget that, above all, it can allow someone who's burnt out to crash three traffic circles down the road. "
The Prefect of the Northern Islands, Cyrille Le Vely, concludes by expressing his satisfaction at the fact that joint efforts will continue to be made to maintain security and reinforce the means of combating the problem.
