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.”