Carrying in St. Lucia

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My company has been offered the opportunity to participate in the construction of a high-end residential development on the island of St. Lucia. This project would be a six year commitment, requiring that I move there. I have done some research on the island, but the information available on firearms law is limited. From what I've read, all firearms require a permit from the Police Commissioner to own or carry.

So, for those here who know, how difficult is it to get a permit? What are the restrictions on firearms on St. Lucia? Anything else I should know?

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nobody even knows where that is.

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It's in the Carribian islands area down by Turks & Caicos. I know nothing about their laws. I would contact their consulate or government offices. You may have to get citizenship there in order to have one. Sometimes this is as simple as purchasing a dwelling or paying a tax - it was that way for T&C. Our boat tour guide was a US Citizen who moved down there, he had to buy a house $250K > and he couldn't be the sole proprietor of the business there. It didn't take much though to find a "partner" on paper to help run his operation.

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Hef wrote:

My company has been offered the opportunity to participate in the construction of a high-end residential development on the island of St. Lucia. This project would be a six year commitment, requiring that I move there. I have done some research on the island, but the information available on firearms law is limited. From what I've read, all firearms require a permit from the Police Commissioner to own or carry.

So, for those here who know, how difficult is it to get a permit? What are the restrictions on firearms on St. Lucia? Anything else I should know?

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http://stlucia-guide.info/travel.basics/customs/

There is some firearm information here.

Apparently you can obtain a St. Lucia firearm license from the Police Commissioner, Ausbert Regis. His e-mail address is: cop@rslpf.com

He would be the best person to authoratatively answer your questions.

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UPDATE:

I looked up the gun laws (Firearms Act 2003) and spoke to the Police Commissioners office. Apparently, St. Lucia prohibits/restricts "non-sporting arms", which include pistols above .22 and/or with barrels shorter than 4", rifles above .22 and/or with barrels shorter than 16", and shotguns with barrels shorter than 26". A license must be issued to purchase, possess, or carry a firearm or ammunition.

It takes about a year to approve an application, and while they are "may issue", they (according to the Police Commissioner's secretary) will not issue a license only when there is a specific reason to disqualify, such as a criminal history. The Police Commissioner has the discretionary authority to grant a license for a larger caliber than .22, but historically only allows up to .380. He will not approve a license application to own a 5.56mm rifle at all.

Open carry is not permitted.

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None of the Caribbean islands are very friendly towards civilian gun ownership. One would think the US Virgin Islands would be a bit different in that regard, being US territories and all, but no...

As I understand, some of the islands have pretty good violence problems, too. As usual, the criminals don't care that their guns are illegal. When I was in San Juan prior to going on a cruise, some poor bastard got shot and killed outside the small hotel we were staying in. I heard he was supposedly involved in some kind of drug deal.

Doesn't make one feel comfortable in the least.

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CO-Joe wrote:

None of the Caribbean islands are very friendly towards civilian gun ownership. One would think the US Virgin Islands would be a bit different in that regard, being US territories and all, but no...

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Really? I thought US Virgin isalnds issues carry permits, hence the great 3d Cir. opinion re Fourth Amendment and gun carriers:

United States v. Ubiles, 224 F.3d 213 (3rd Cir. 2000) (holding that the search violated Ubiles' Fourth Amendment rights, the court noted that the situation was no different than if the informant had told officers "that Ubiles possessed a wallet . . . and the authorities had stopped him for that reason . . .For all the officers knew, even assuming the reliability of the tip[/b] that Ubiles possessed a gun, Ubiles was another celebrant lawfully exercising his right under Virgin Islands law to possess a gun in public.”).

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Mike wrote:

CO-Joe wrote:

None of the Caribbean islands are very friendly towards civilian gun ownership. One would think the US Virgin Islands would be a bit different in that regard, being US territories and all, but no...

Click to expand...

Really? I thought US Virgin isalnds issues carry permits, hence the great 3d Cir. opinion re Fourth Amendment and gun carriers:

United States v. Ubiles, 224 F.3d 213 (3rd Cir. 2000) (holding that the search violated Ubiles' Fourth Amendment rights, the court noted that the situation was no different than if the informant had told officers "that Ubiles possessed a wallet . . . and the authorities had stopped him for that reason . . .For all the officers knew, even assuming the reliability of the tip that Ubiles possessed a gun, Ubiles was another celebrant lawfully exercising his right under Virgin Islands law to possess a gun in public.”).

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The U.S. Virgin Islands issue gun permits to residents only, and not very often, with many restrictions. It is extremely difficult to carry a firearm legally in the U.S.V.I. I don't know about the crime throughout the Virgin Islands, but I have been told by LEO's there that there is a serious problem with violent crime in Charlotte-Amalie.