UNODC technically assists Saint Lucia to measure crime and safety perception

On July 3, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Center of Excellence for Statistical Information in Crime, Government, Victimization and Justice (CoE) participated in the official launch of the results of the Saint Lucia National Crime Victimization Survey (SLNCVS) 2020, in collaboration with the national lead agency, the Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia (CSO), along with colleagues from the CariSECURE project of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). This survey has been funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The presentation was held remotely, due to restrictions in force by Covid-19. Thanks to this presentation, the inhabitants of Saint Lucia were able to learn about the levels of criminal victimization in the country and the perception of public safety.

SLNCVS is based on the methodology of the Latin America and the Caribbean Crime Victimization Survey Initiative (LACSI), led by UNODC through the CoE. It is a common methodology that is aligned with the international standards such as the International Classification of Crimes for Statistical Purposes (ICCS) and the Manual on Victimization Surveys. Through this methodology it is possible to monitor the progress of 5 indicators of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 (11.7.2, 16.1.3, 16.1.4, 16.3.1 and 16.5.1).

The implementation began in April 2019, where UNODC provided technical assistance throughout the process. The SLNCVS data was collected between September and December 2019, interviewing 2,075 randomly selected respondents of 18 years or older who were residents of Saint Lucia. This survey explores residents’ perception of security, their opinions regarding the criminal justice authorities, as well as their victimization related to 14 different crimes, in addition to sexual harassment and the prevalence of firearms in the country.

UNODC congratulates Saint Lucia for generating quality, reliable, timely, and comparable statistical information and for being the first country in the Caribbean to publish the results using United Nations international standards.

All documentation related to this survey will be available on the CSO website.

The presentation used in the Official Launch can be accessed here: SLNCVS2020_OfficialLaunch_5July2020_ENDEND

SDG 2030 indicators for Saint Lucia can be reviewed here: INF_SLCVS_2020_END