St. Maarten Private Eye

Getting the priorities right on crime

Did anyone else notice the front page of the Daily Herald today? The top headline reported a 4th armed daylight robbery in Philipsburg and directly below it was a headline reporting how the police had fined 140 and towed 45 cars in road controls. Is it just me that sees something wrong with the priorities here?

I took a walk down Front Street and the Boardwalk today, I was in town about 3 hours and in that time II did not see one police or VKS officer. I visited a few store owners that i have known a few years and asked them about the situation.....

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From what I can put together, there is growing membership and support for the newly established United Business Association and that the UBA is currently working with the IMA, the Chamber of Commerce and others to meet with the Lt. Governor and find a solution for security for the Philipsburg. The merchants want to know what the problems are and how they can help, not more excuses, inaction and promises.

It's no secret that SXM has a severe shortage in police officers and the Force is also severely underfunded, leading to them to beg the business community for cars. The 911 number is a bad joke, often unanswered and even when it is, the police turn up late, if at all. But is the staff and finance shortage the only problem? And just what are the problems with recruiting more police officers? Is the pay too lousy? Are the regulations and requirements too restricting? Why are there there no minority police officers from our multicultural and international society?

I would like to suggest that 'management', or rather, 'poor management', is a problem, that the situation requires macro management of the resources available and so far this is lacking. Just why is it that we can't have police foot patrols in Philipsburg? Some tell me that our police officers don't like to walk in the hot sun. Can this be true?

The previous robbery took place on a Sunday, so this last Sunday a police car was noted patrolling Philipsburg, doing approximately 8 loops of town and Front Street, there was also a VKS presence too. While this is all very well and some want to see it as a sign of hope, the question remains. Why not everyday? One merchant told me that the Police had suggested the businesses pay them instead and the police would do the patrolling. Something is very wrong here.

Merchants and business's in town are now planning to hire private security to patrol Philipsburg as of the beginning of next week. This is a sad state of affairs, the road to private security companies taking over the traditional and important role of public security usually provided by the state (Police) is not one we should be taking. I only have to mention Marcel Loor or Blackwater from the US to highlight what I want to say.

This is what Panneflek said to SMN News.

Responding to several questions as to the lack of human resources facing the St. Maarten Police Force which is responsible for Saba, Statia and St. Maarten, Panneflek said that they are doing the very best they can with limited manpower and tools. He gave an example of the road tax controls which was conducted on Wednesday. He said that the community sometime would complain when they call the police station and no one answers, and there are cases when these very people would visit the station and see a set of officers who were busy on the streets and were not sitting at the Police Station. - (Eh?)

He further explained that despite the limited manpower officers on St. Maarten also traveled to Statia on Wednesday afternoon where they also assisted the police on that island with the same exercise. Panneflec said that even though the Windward Islands are considered the smallest in the Netherlands Antilles one must not forget the distance between the islands and what is required to manage them all. Asked to specifically address the severe shortage of detectives as there is news in the community that only two or three detectives are working each shift, the deputy chief commissioner said that it is not because these detectives are not seen at the police station they are not working. He clarified that the detectives all have cases working on.

Erm, excuse me? Are you telling me that Statia police or Island government don't have a computer with records of all the cars on the island? I mean, how many can there be? How difficult can that be? One computer, one officer, one hour a month to update it and Bingo, job mostly done. The Statia police could have a print out and check up on those not paid in their spare time and maybe come over and assist SXM instead.

I would like to give Panneflek some slack after being thrust into the acting Police Commissioner position, but at the same time he sounds like the same old song being played over again. Note how he avoided answering the question about 2 or 3 detectives on each shift by telling the reporter that they are all busy. That was not the question Mr. Panneflek, please don't talk to us like Janchi does.

The UBA wants answers and the public want answers. we want to know what the situation is and what is being done to fix it.

Caribdude

Daylight robbery on Front Street - 28th March 2008

Fourth daylight robbery has merchants in uproar - 28th March 2008

Police fine 140 persons, tow 45 cars in controls - 28th March 2008

Police committed to solving robberies, says Panneflek - 28th March 2008

Justice Police Crime | Caribdude's blog | 3 comments | read more