PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament, Johan 'Janchi' Leonard welcomes government initiatives to reduce the number of fire-arms circulating in St. Maarten. The measure was announced by the minister of justice and entails the return of weapons in the hands of persons, who are not entitled to have these in their possession.
The approach, said Leonard, is certainly a step in the right direction, considering the number of violent crimes where a firearm is used.
According to Leonard, the initiative is one that is in keeping with his own views on safety and security of St. Maarten
More Controls
MP Leonard added that he is specifically advocating more controls, as a way of complimenting the desired reduction of illegal weapons on the street. These controls would have to be implemented at possible entry points and at so-called hot spots, known to authorities and to the general public.
Our open borders make it easier for persons to enter our island and commit crime, as easy as it is for weapons to be smuggled into the country, says Leonard.
The MP said that is was encouraging to note from the minister's statements that the initiative entailing reduction of weapons came as a result of discussions with authorities on French St. Maarten. Concrete results are always possible when we engage in open discussion with our counterparts on the French side. We need to involve them in any decision we take. Those decisions are vital to facilitate our own crime response.
Priorities in combatting crime
Leonard says that high on his agenda are priorities in combating crime.
"Restoring confidence to the public, reducing armed robberies, reducing stolen vehicles incidents, constant controls on streets, benefits all of us", says the member of parliament.
Elaborating further, he mentions that "combatting crime lies not only with government. This must be a community effort; police will not be everywhere. Members of the community always see something, know something. The confidence in police should be restored to a level, whereby coming forward becomes the norm, even before something actually takes place".
To the question of how local communities can play a more decisive role in their own protection, Leonard advocates active neighborhood watch groups, working in collaboration with police (and sometimes, private security firms).
Crime Prevention
MP Leonard says that he looks forward to more emphasis being placed on crime prevention, in St. Maarten, in the next governing period. With prevention, we even save lives, channeling much needed resources and manpower. So much time and effort now goes into responding to crime –with some cases remaining unresolved for longer periods.
That has to become something of the past, he says.
