St Lucian authorities could be turning to man’s best friend to enhance security at the island’s schools and other institutions.
According to National Security Minister Hermangild Francis, the use of guard dogs is under consideration.
He was speaking to reporters on the heels of an alarming attack at the island’s Victoria hospital on Saturday, when a visitor entered the facility with a machete concealed under his clothing to attack a patient.
The perpetrator’s attempt was foiled, however, after the patient fled to a security area.
Guards managed to disarm the man and he was subsequently arrested by police.
The National Security Minister, who expressed dismay at the incident, also revealed that schools were being increasingly targeted by thieves.
Noting that Government has been paying a high price for such incidents, he stressed that efforts were underway to “look at security that will take care of students when they are at school and look at the facilities when the children are not at school”.
Francis argued that watchmen were no longer enough and, as such, Government was looking at a “holistic security component of schools, hospitals and health centres”.
“One idea that has come is to look at the canine unit and have canines at schools during the evening,” the Minister said.