Philipsburg - While we have shifted into first gear on the "paved" road to country status, the dust has not settled on the back roads, where day to day challenges remain a balancing act for local government officials. Officials who should give sufficient attention and public accountability on various tasks that affect our (business) community directly. This is no different for St. Maarten's Local Chief of Police, Lt. Governor Franklin Richards, who recently received a request for more clarification on the recent rise of criminal activities, from Island Council Member Maria Buncamper-Molanus.
In a letter to the Chief of Police, Buncamper-Molanus asked for statistical information to clarify whether an increase in crime has indeed occurred, in particular the ones of a more violent nature that have resulted in the deaths of local business men, in comparison to previous years. While she acknowledged that the responsibility of Justice falls under the Central Government, she also questions if we including the Office of the Local Chief of Police should be viewing things differently considering that the challenges we face with crime seem to be escalating.
Various efforts to combat crime were highlighted in Buncamper-Molanus' communication to the Chief. Including: The Central Government's proposed reorganization and coaching of the Windward Islands Police Management Team, an ongoing campaign to recruit new police officers, an established cooperation between the police forces of the Windward Islands and Rotterdam and various project proposals submitted by St. Maarten, to ultimately improve the police force as a whole and provide the St. Maarten citizens and visitors alike, with a sense of higher security and peace of mind. Mrs. Buncamper-Molanus requested more clarification on what exactly the agreement is between Rotterdam and St. Maarten and more facts and figures on the current recruitment status. Basically, she is requesting an update on the aforementioned initiatives and an explanation on the results of all these efforts, negative or positive.
After a list of eight queries, Buncamper-Molanus stated: "More police presence and proper equipment appear to be the recurring calls from those involved. If this is indeed the main issue, why are these issues not given priority? Yes indeed the Central Government is responsible for Justice. We have had Justice Ministers come and go and we have the same problems recur. The constant factors in this equation are the people of St. Maarten, crime and the responsibility of the Local Chief of police on the island. So should we be doing things differently leading up the constitutional reform? Should there be more involvement from the Island Government and the Local Chief of Police?"
The Island Council Member concluded by stating that fighting crime is everybody's business and requested a prompt response from the office of the Local Chief of Police as this issue is a critical concern and would benefit the people of and the visitors to St. Maarten.
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