Justice Minister Says Authorities are prepared to use stronger powers if necessary to protect St Maarten

PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling has sounded the alarm over what she described as the “hardening” of crime in Sint Maarten, citing increased firearm possession, more violent and brazen criminal activity, and younger suspects.

Speaking during Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing, Tackling said police officers are encountering boys as young as 14 and 15 years old on the streets during the middle of the night.

“Our police encounter boys of 14 and 15 on the street in the middle of the night. I ask every parent listening: How is this possible? Where are the adults?” Tackling said.

The Minister identified several troubling developments now being observed within the community. These include more weapons and violence being used during crimes, young offenders carrying firearms, declining respect for law enforcement and the broader erosion of authority throughout society.

According to Tackling, some young offenders are no longer afraid of being arrested and have even told police officers that they intend to return to criminal activity after being released.

“Some even tell the officers directly that when they are released, they will do it again,” the Minister disclosed.

She said police officers are also being insulted, provoked and deliberately challenged more openly than before. Tackling warned that the disregard for authority extends beyond serious crime and also shows up in everyday conduct, including reckless driving, illegal parking, excessive window tinting, garbage disposal, and the way people speak to one another.

“Across our society, rules have started to feel like suggestions, and everyone seems to decide for themselves which ones apply,” she said.

Tackling stressed that young people did not create these attitudes on their own but are copying the behavior adults demonstrate.

“Our children did not invent this behavior. They learned it from adults, and they are watching how we behave far more closely than they listen to what we say,” she said.

Preventive Searches and Increased Police Presence

The Justice Minister announced that uniformed officers, detectives and personnel operating in unmarked vehicles are being deployed as part of the authorities’ response.

Camera surveillance has also been increased at locations and during periods when incidents are most likely to occur.

With the approval of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, preventive searches have resumed. Police now conduct searches of individuals and vehicles for firearms during targeted operations.

These multidisciplinary operations are being carried out involving the Police Force of Sint Maarten, Customs, Immigration, the Coast Guard and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee.

Over the coming week and a half, the public should expect to see an increased security presence on the roads with additional assistance from the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. During the question-and-answer segment, the Minister also referred to assistance from the Marines beginning next week.

The Minister said these controls are already producing results.

Multiple firearms and quantities of drugs have reportedly been seized, scooters have been confiscated, and several persons have been arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery.

The increased deployment will not focus exclusively on guns and drugs. Tackling said authorities also intend to enforce traffic laws and address vehicles that are not properly documented.

“Hopefully, that will also allow us to do more controls—not just looking for firearms and drugs, but also to enforce our traffic laws and all the laws in this country,” she said.

Government Prepared to Go Further

Tackling warned that the government has enforcement tools available that go considerably further than the measures currently being implemented.

She referred to other countries in the region where deteriorating security conditions have resulted in states of emergency, curfews, expanded arrest and detention powers and soldiers being deployed alongside police officers in residential communities.

The Minister said she would prefer that Sint Maarten never reach that point, but warned that the government would act if stronger measures become necessary.

“If it becomes necessary to protect the people of this country, we are prepared to use them,” Tackling declared.

The Minister did not announce a state of emergency, curfew or other extraordinary measure for Sint Maarten. Her statement was a warning that stronger legal tools remain available should the security situation deteriorate.

Tackling said the responsibility for preventing that outcome does not rest with the government alone. She called on parents to know where their children are, who they are associating with and how they obtained expensive items such as scooters and gold chains.

“No ministry can replace a parent who asks: Where are you going, and who are you going with?” she said.

The Minister also urged businesses to invest in security cameras and promptly turn footage over to police.

She reminded residents that posting information on Facebook is not the same as filing a police report.

Persons with information can contact KPSM at 542-2222, use the anonymous tip line at 9300 or call 911 when witnessing a crime in progress.

“We cannot investigate what we were never told,” Tackling said. “Restoring safety is our job. Restoring the norms that make safety possible is all of ours.”

~Internal investigation found that the required procedure was not followed; the officer has resumed duties.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling has confirmed that the police officer involved in the widely circulated school bus incident was not formally suspended and has since resumed his duties.

However, Tackling revealed that the internal investigation was not limited to the brief physical interaction captured on video.

Police management was also concerned that the minor was removed from the school bus, placed inside a police vehicle and later left alone at a bus stop instead of being taken to the police station, where his parents should have been summoned.

“The procedure, which is to bring the child to the station and invite the parents in for a conversation about his conduct, was not followed,” Tackling told Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing.

According to the Minister, leaving the minor alone at the bus stop placed the child in a potentially dangerous situation.

The parents subsequently filed a formal complaint.

Tackling said the officer touching the child’s face while attempting to make his point, together with what happened after the video-recorded interaction, led to the internal investigation.

“What concerned management was not only the moment that was captured on video. It was what came after,” the Minister said.

Internal Affairs interviewed the students, the school bus driver and the police officers involved.

Officer Taken Off the Street, Not Suspended

The Minister sought to correct repeated public claims that the officer had been suspended.

She explained that police management temporarily took the officer off street duty to allow the preliminary investigation to proceed objectively. The investigation later determined that a formal suspension was unnecessary, and the officer resumed his regular duties.

“Taking an officer off the street in that way is not a punishment, and it is not a suspension,” Tackling said. “It is a measure in order to let the investigation run cleanly and objectively.”

Tackling said the same procedure was followed in the separate police-involved shooting investigation. In both cases, the officers concerned were removed from street duty while preliminary investigations were conducted.

In both matters, investigators concluded that formal suspensions were unnecessary, and the officers returned to duty.

“That is equal treatment,” the Minister said, rejecting public claims that police officers involved in different investigations were being treated inconsistently.

Officer and Parents Working Toward Resolution

During the question-and-answer session, Tackling said that, as of Wednesday morning, the matter was being resolved between the minor’s parents and the police force.

She urged members of the public to avoid reaching conclusions before all the facts of an incident have been established.

“A few seconds of a video cannot show you the whole picture, and it cannot give you all the facts,” Tackling said.

She added that a video clip should not, by itself, form the basis for passing judgment before an investigation is complete.

“Truth-finding should happen before trial by social media,” the Minister said.

Tackling acknowledged that the police are being asked to maintain order while dealing with a younger generation that increasingly challenges authority. However, she maintained that police officers must still meet the professional standards required of them.

“Respect for police authority is not optional. But neither is the professionalism that earns that respect,” she said.

The Minister also addressed the public support and proposed gifts for the officer. She said police officers generally cannot accept gifts without authorization from their department head or the required ministerial approval.

Tackling said the Ministry would provide further clarification regarding the regulations governing gifts to police officers and other civil servants.

Proper Procedure Explained

The Minister said that when a minor flagrantly disrespects a police officer, the child should be taken to the police station and the parents should be called in.

A discussion should then take place with the parents concerning the child’s behavior.

“That child should be taken to the station. Parents should be brought in, and a discussion should take place with the parents,” Tackling explained.

She also confirmed that approximately 67 or 68 children were under some form of supervision by Judicial and Institutional Services when she last received the relevant figures about a month ago.

These cases often arise from reports made by schools or other institutions and may involve an examination of the child’s family circumstances. Tackling said that not all of the children are in foster care, but their families remain under government supervision.

The Minister agreed that a minor's criminal involvement should trigger an examination of that child’s home environment. She said such assessments may already be taking place but promised to verify whether an investigation is automatically initiated whenever a minor becomes involved in criminal activity.

PHILIPSBURG:---  The Third Reading Festival: Sint Maarten Edition is officially underway, with activities taking place this week leading up to the two day festival on September 25 and 26, 2026.

Stichting Biblionef Netherlands, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, the Library of Sint Maarten, Help Our Children Foundation, and the University of St. Martin (USM), is once again bringing together students, educators, authors, families and community partners to celebrate the joy of reading and learning.

Now in its third year, the Reading Festival continues to grow, with this year’s program introducing new and interactive experiences alongside popular activities such as storytelling, author visits, creative workshops, educational games and book giveaways. Students will also have opportunities to explore technology and creativity through AI focused activities, while a Steel Pan Workshop facilitated by Dow’s Musical Foundation will bring music into the learning experience. Festival goers can also look forward to a special VR surprise designed to enhance the reading experience.

The event is made possible through the support of the Dutch Foundation for Literature and local sponsorship through Help Our Children Foundation.

Friday, September 25: School Program

The official festival program begins on Friday with activities geared toward Form 1 and Form 2 students at participating secondary schools and USM.

Students will take part in author visits, reading activities, workshops, and educational games. Form 1 students will attend activities at USM, while Form 2 students will participate at their respective schools. Transportation will be provided for Form 1 students.

Saturday, September 26: Family Festival Day

On Saturday, the Reading Festival opens its doors to the entire community from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the University of St. Martin.

Primary school children, high school students, parents, and teachers are invited to come out and experience a day that shows just how much fun learning can be.

The day will feature author readings, storytelling, interactive workshops, AI activities, educational games, the Steel Pan Workshop, the special VR surprise and much more.

Parents are asked to accompany children up to 12 years of age.

More Than 2,500 Books, Educational Materials and Prizes

More than 2,500 new books, educational materials and language games will be distributed to schools and children across Sint Maarten.

Participants will also have opportunities throughout the festival to win exciting prizes while taking part in the activities.

Following the festival, books and materials used during the event will be available through the Library of Sint Maarten, helping to extend the impact of the Reading Festival beyond the two day event.

The Reading Festival team encourages families, teachers and students to come out on Saturday and be part of the third edition.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Last month, inmates at Point Blanche Prison in Sint Maarten participated in the first religious services held at the facility in eight (8) months. The resumption of religious programming, following a suspension, marks an important step in expanding opportunities for spiritual support, personal development, and positive engagement with the wider community as part of the prison's broader rehabilitation efforts.

The first services on August 1st and 2nd, conducted jointly by the Anglican and Moravian Churches of Sint Maarten, both members of the Christian Council, provided an opportunity for prayer, reflection, and spiritual connection. The gathering brought together faith and community and highlighted the important role that spiritual care can play within a correctional environment.

Archdeacon Terrence Rawlings, President of the Christian Council, who delivered the sermon, reflected on the significance of the occasion, stating: "It is encouraging to see such a good turnout and to know the inmates asked for this themselves. We will be back."

In the weeks following this, churches and faith communities have been mobilized to participate through collaboration with the Sint Maarten Christian Council, the Sint Maarten United Ministerial Foundation (SMUMF), the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA), and more partners who have supported this cause in the past.

Providing regular opportunities for worship and spiritual engagement contributes to a humane and rehabilitative prison environment and reflects the principles set out in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules). Rule 2 requires that "the religious beliefs and moral precepts of prisoners shall be respected," while Rule 66 further provides that, so far as practicable, every prisoner shall be allowed to satisfy the needs of their religious life by attending religious services provided in the prison and by having in their possession religious books.

This initiative will strengthen partnerships between the prison and faith communities while contributing to prisoner wellbeing, reintegration, and overall positive engagement with society.

This initiative is delivered under the Detention Sector Reform Program (DSRP), co-funded by the Ministry of Justice of Sint Maarten and the Government of the Netherlands, and implemented through a partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).