The Ministry of National Security has moved to address circulating rumors suggesting that police officers’ insurance premiums were unpaid, assuring the public that all payments for the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force’s personal accident policy are fully up to date.
Permanent Secretary Sarah Dupre-Cotter issued the clarification following what she described as “misleading reports” claiming the government had failed to cover officers’ insurance on the sidelines of a NAMLOC meeting on Thursday.
“I want to make it clear that there was no issue, there is no issue, and there will never be an issue with payments for the personal accident plan for members of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force,” Dupre-Cotter said.
She explained that the policy is held under the name of the Police Welfare Association (PWA) and that all financial transactions are conducted through that body.
“The policy is registered under the Police Welfare Association. All invoices are sent to the PWA, and when they reach my office, payments are made promptly because we have budgetary allocations for this insurance,” she added.
Dupre-Cotter also criticized the misinformation spreading in the media, calling it “unfortunate” that the public was led to believe the government had defaulted on its obligations.
“Reports suggested that the government was refusing to make payments. This is entirely false,” she said.
She noted that after convening a meeting with representatives from both the Police Welfare Association and the insurance company, the situation was quickly clarified and resolved.
“At that meeting, it was acknowledged that we had not received the invoices earlier. The outstanding invoices were delivered that same afternoon and were paid immediately,” Dupre-Cotter confirmed.
The Ministry emphasized that ensuring the welfare of members of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force remains a top priority, and that all contractual and financial obligations for their insurance coverage are being met without delay.