St. Maarten Private Eye

Over the recent years SXM people have been complaining about the police, I think they should start applauding them, they are trying their best to tackle the crime situation on SXM.

I find people that pass judgment on the police should step into their shoes just once and know how it is to put your life on the line and be criticised day in and day out for trying to do your job. Let’s face it life isn’t getting easier and crime is on the increase, and people that put their lives on the line to serve and protect us should be applauded. That’s just my opinion, one must always remember jealous people will always criticise something that they themselves have no idea how to do or better yet can’t do!

My hat off to POLICE of SXM for doing a rather good job in making the island safer for those of us who life there.

acording to www.sxmislandtime.com police arested a wanted man just 4 hours after his mug shots were published in the papers, and, more interestingly, police also detained 17 suspects who are jamaican nationals in raids TARGETING places where thy're known to congregate:
http://www.sxmislandtime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3554:17-arrested-in-police-raids-jamaicans-targeted&catid=41:frontpage

I don't recall police using similar tactics before, i.e. going where potential suspects are likely to hang out, rather than cruising around the island and waiting for a "lucky" tip what leads them directly to the suspect. I'm not an expert in police matters and not a fan of frmr. NYC Mayor Giuliani, but the tactics of sending police to the areas where crime is statistically high, and where suspects are likely to congregate reduced NYC violent crime by over 70%, and I think that this is the best tactics to use to fight recent crime wave in SXM.

I wonder if these raids are just a random thing or they're done on the orders of the new acting police commish. Dongor (did I spell his name right?)
If this is the tactics that will be frequently used by the new police commish - i applaud him. Old methods have not been bringing good results, it's about time someone would use new methods of policing. With the limited police resourses, going where the suspects are known to congregate is the best (maybe the only) method to clean up the place!

I'm going to leave this one open for now as it's not very full and start a new one next Monday and every Monday after. This way it can be used to follow news during the week.

Flipper

As America get's ready for a new President, an economic recession storms all over the globe. Wall street's one big mess and main streeters lose every bit of trust. No cruise trip at the end of December, no Xmas on a (concrete) Caribbean island. Painful for them, but disastrous for our little economy. If not more, SXM is for about 85 per cent reliant on tourism. So, what if tourists stay home this year? What did we built that new pier for? God, we even seem to have plans for a third one...burn those plans! This recession is just about to get started and if people keep telling each other there's an economic depression underway, there will be one. It's all built on that one feeling called trust.

What's McCain gonna do about that? Haven't heard much from him! And neither have I heard anything sensible (not that I had expected to) from that stupid woman he seems to be hanging around with. His fourth wife?

'the women of america are not done yet, we can shatter that glass once and for all' yeah sarah, sure. shatter whatever invisible glass you want, I just want a president with a clear plan and a good head on his shoulders. to hell with military experience, that's so middle-ages.

Angelina

Flipper -- do you have any idea why is there not more attention given to the fact that due to the Central Bank in the Neth. Antilles lack of action, the Deposit Insurance Regulation as described in the Federal Ordinance Supervision Bank and Credit System Neth. Antilles (Article 39) was never enacted?

This system can be compared to the FDIC in the USA, the "Deposito Garantie Stelsel" in the Netherlands and other Deposit Guarantee Systems in most (if not all) European countries.

See The Daily Herald's article on this issue here:

http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/l126/protect126.html

It's a DAMN SHAME that the Central Bank of the Neth. Antilles has not consulted and come to workable system with the commercial banks since 1994 when the law was adopted, which would have ensured protection of deposits for account holders (to a certain amount).

It's also sad, that many citizens don't seem to care or fail to realize this severe shortcoming and lazy attitude from the Central Bank and those elected federal officials that are supposed to make sure that the Central Bank lives upto laws that are adopted, can have DISASTEROUS consequences for local account holders.

Wake up people, your hard earned money is at stake!

Anyone else having problems getting their funmiles put onto their account?. You speak with funmiles, they blame the merchant. You call the merchant and they blame fun miles. All these campaigns that banks , etc. offer funmiles for, is anyone getting their mileage? Check the comments section on funmiles.net. You can't add a new comment. Check the comments on that page. All posted on the same day within 2 minutes apart. Probably someone at funmiles office added those.

It's been 15 years since the law protecting bank account holders in the Netherlands Antilles against crises in the financial sector has never been enacted.
Which means that if there's a crises your saving are not protected. The article 39 ,which protect sbank account holders in the commercials is not regulated.
Bank account holders in the Netherlands , however are gauranteed up to 100.000 euros.
The article appeared today in the Daily Herald.
This is very scary considering the world banking markets today.
Some of the biggest banks are folding and depositors are protected up a certain amount. We will not be immune to the trend. I would assume that our local commerical banks also use deposits to invest in low and high risk funds, whether they are government bonds or futures.
According to the Central Bank, our commercial banks show 710.5 million in required reserves deposited at the bank to cover liabilities to deposits.

We need our Parliament members to come out and enact the law protecting depositors just like those in the Netherlands.