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SXM Police Chief 'Reassigned' - 'Arrested' - 'Released'

I've called for it before and in my opinion the sudden 'reassignment' of Derrick Holiday, the Police Chief Commissioner for the Windward Islands, is long overdue and very welcome. SXM needs change and reform in many areas and this one in particular. Holiday is old wood, like a stick in the mud and times are changing, new energy, new ideas and fresh clear thinking is needed to prepare SXM for it's new status.

Unfortunately I can't scan the papers and sadly the stories from saturday or today (Monday) are not available on the Daily Herald Website, apparently news about a car thief and the Rotary Club are more important. Hopefully someone will be able to add them in the next few days. Seems to me there is much more to this story than meets the eye........

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The story first appeared in the Daily Herald on Saturday, reporting that information reaching the newspaper was that Derrick Holiday had been 'temporarily' relieved of duty and put at Minister Dick's disposal, effective Friday 1st Feb. The story mentions that the Exco has been advocating a "Shadow Minister of Justice" position in preparation for New Status, that Richard Gibson was closely involved with this and Holiday had been requested to assist. This new temporary assignment is 'envisioned' to be for 2 years.

Today, (monday), the DH has one small article on the story which is basically a rehash of information from Saturday, confirmed by Minister Dick. Two candidates are reportedly under consideration, one from Suriname and one from Holland. The Today Paper on the other hand had a Front Page story about an unhappy Holiday and an outraged editorial slamming the decision and Minister Dick.

The story itself is much like the editorial, it is unclear if this is in fact an interview with Holiday, or an article he wrote himself. It quotes 'pundits' as saying "Minister Dick has been attempting to remove Commissioner Holiday from his position for several years to replace him with someone else from the outside. This action by the minister according to them is very questionable and unacceptable" (Using "quotation marks "" to indicate what a party has said is rather vital in news reporting and I have some serious questions about the objectivity of the writer.) The 'pundits' are then quoted as saying "...the ministerial decree abruptly removing Holiday from his position cannot stand."

The Editorial, like the 'news' report, is full of indignation and outrage over the abrupt and suddenness of Holiday's removal, apparently the Today Editorial writer, whomever it may be, thinks Holiday is wonderful because Dick mentions in his decree that Holiday had performed his duties exemplary. It's really rather odd....

Holiday has apparently been offered an interesting new position in service to his country and St. Maarten, apparently working with Richard Gibson, and Gibson's newspaper has an editorial blasting the decision. I regularly read the Today and it's editorials, this one seems different somehow. I can't imagine such an editorial going to print without Gibson knowing about it, no way.

And then, there is the SMN-News article posted today and archived here with some reminders of pending investigations against Holiday in regards to permit favors, fraud and the Marcel Loor case. According to Bibi's investigations, Holiday has been at home since Wednesday and reports some opinions expressed by officers, oddly similar to those of the 'pundits'.

So, let me tell the Today what this 'pundit' thinks......

It's been a long time coming and it's long overdue. SXM needs to prepare and restructure itself for it's new status, the justice system is one of the most important areas this change is needed, another is the political system (but thats for another blog). Without a reliable and professional justice system and police force then the new status will be doomed to failure. There will be no independence and freedom, the island will remain enslaved in the old system of cronyism, corruption, fear and intimidation, the last two often from the police force as well as criminals.

This 'pundit' says 'So long old boy!' to Holiday and bring on that new guy from outside. To those officers who are true to their profession and the law I say stand up strong and embrace the change, your force is a shadow of what it could be and should be. You need better equipment, training and salaries, where is the money for this most likely to come from, the island govt or the Dutch? If you ask me, the so called BES islands are getting a sweet deal. It's natural and normal for the party spending or investing it's money to have some say and control on how it is spent. There are many police forces around the world who have non local high ranks, I think Aruba has a chief who is Dutch and Jamaica and Trinidad often have UK police officers in top positions. It's nothing to be ashamed about for crying out loud!

And to those who would stoke and stir nationalistic and racial pride and emotions with your scaremongering and paranoid xenophobic claims of 'Dutch taking over' and 'colonialism' I say shame on you, for your attempts to manipulate people, for clouding the issues and for failing to recognize and deal with the truth.

St. Maarten needs change, this New Status is a wonderful opportunity for the island to get a fresh start and the removal of Holiday is a big step in the right direction.

According to this 'pundit'.

Dr. Voodoo

Main news clips below.....

Holiday to stand trial on April 16 - 25th March 2008

Dick disagrees with reports on Holiday - 29th February 2008

Police agree on coach - 29th February 2008

Police management talks continue - 28th February 2008

Police Union against turnaround manager - 27th February 2008

Richards not prudent to respond to lawyers remarks - 27th February 2008

Richards declines to respond to lawyers accusations - 27th February 2008

Lawyer claims Richards behind Holiday arrest - 26th February 2008

Holiday’s lawyer calls for probe into Dick’s motives - 26th February 2008