~Heyliger-Marten requests urgent meeting with Justice Minister and justice-chain partners, warns robberies and shootings are eroding business, investor and visitor confidence.~
PHILIPSBURG:---Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten has formally requested an urgent meeting with the Minister of Justice and justice-chain partners, warning that the consequences of crime in St. Maarten have moved far beyond law enforcement and are now directly threatening the country’s economy, tourism product and investment climate.
Heyliger-Marten delivered one of her strongest public statements on crime during Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing, declaring that “crime is not just a justice issue. Crime is also an economic issue.”
The Minister said every robbery, home invasion, shooting and act of violence creates consequences extending beyond the immediate victim.
“It leaves behind uncertainty, it weakens business confidence, it discourages investment, and it affects tourism,” Heyliger-Marten said.
Her intervention places TEATT directly into the growing public-safety discussion, but the Minister carefully distinguished her responsibilities from those of the Ministry of Justice.
Heyliger-Marten acknowledged that Justice carries the constitutional responsibility for policing, investigation, prosecution and detention.
Her responsibility as TEATT Minister, she said, is to determine what crime is doing to the economy.
“My responsibility is to understand how crime affects our economy, our investment climate, our tourism product, our business community and the livelihoods of our people,” she said.
It is against that backdrop that she has formally requested an urgent meeting with the Minister of Justice together with justice-chain partners.
“EVERY SECTOR EVENTUALLY PAYS THE PRICE”
The Minister painted a picture of how repeated criminal incidents can gradually undermine confidence in the country.
“When a business owner is robbed, they don't simply lose merchandise, they lose confidence,” she said.
The same applies when families no longer feel secure in their homes, she said, and when visitors begin questioning whether St. Maarten remains the safe and welcoming destination they remember.
The potential consequences extend to investors deciding whether the island remains the right place to expand their businesses.
“When investors begin asking whether this is the right place to expand their businesses, confidence is lost,” she warned.
Heyliger-Marten stressed that her request for discussions with Justice is not intended to assign blame or play politics.
“It’s about urgency. It’s about coordination,” she said.
The Minister warned that public safety and economic prosperity cannot be separated.
“If we fail to protect confidence in our country, every sector eventually pays the price.”
DIRECT MESSAGE TO YOUNG MEN
Heyliger-Marten then departed from conventional economic policy language and delivered a direct appeal to St. Maarten’s young men.
“Fellas, please hear me,” she said.
The Minister challenged the belief that carrying a gun earns respect, participating in robberies creates power or that quick money offers an easier route than legitimate employment.
“Real strength is not found behind a weapon. Real respect is not earned through fear. Real success is never built on someone else's pain,” she said.
She linked criminal conduct directly back to economic consequences, saying every robbery damages the community while every shooting makes it harder for businesses to invest, tourists to choose St. Maarten and the economy to grow.
For youths already involved in crime, however, Heyliger-Marten said their future does not have to be predetermined.
“Your story is not over. One mistake does not have to become your entire future,” she said.
Her most pointed appeal followed:
“Reach out before the prison cell. Reach out before the courtroom. Reach out before you find your grave.”
The Minister said government must simultaneously create legitimate alternatives for young people through education, mentorship, sports, creative industries, tourism, technology and agriculture.
She said TEATT is prepared to work with Justice, Education, VSA, community organizations, churches and the private sector to create more opportunities.
But ultimately, she said, young people themselves must make the choice.
“Choose education over crime. Choose discipline over destruction. Choose hard work over easy money. Choose purpose over violence.”