Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards is rightfully concerned about the current crime wave in St. Maarten (see related article). Ironically, at the same time he was issuing his press release on Monday in connection with the stolen cars found over the weekend and the recent shooting involving a school bus, a man was shot while leaving his home in Madame Estate and says he has no clue who did it or why.
The lack of cooperation from residents who must have noticed the torching of two stolen cars in their neighbourhood, but failed to report this, has authorities worried. What's worse, police say they were subjected to verbal abuse and even threats while taking the vehicles away, although they could not tell by whom.
When people stop respecting the law and apparently don't consider the agencies called on to enforce it as being on their side, there is a serious problem. This does not mean the majority feels that way, but if even a small group somehow turns against authorities it can jeopardise the safety and security of society as a whole.
That the Lt. Governor is looking into additional law enforcement measures, including extended and far-reaching authority to the police and Prosecutor's Office, is understandable under the circumstances. Examples mentioned are closing businesses, offices and homes that violate public order, temporary detention of persons or groups ignoring law and order rules, as well as police searching vehicles and persons, including having the motorist open any closed packages.
The general public needs to realise that such steps can create a certain measure of inconvenience and can have other consequences, including financial ones. However, crime is becoming a serious threat to the local tourism economy and if it gets out of hand things quickly could turn very sour, as other destinations in the region have already experienced.
So while it makes sense to request understanding from the community and ensure that additional measures should not create the semblance of a police state, the Lt. Governor perhaps would do well to go a step further and not only look into, but actually proclaim those measures. After all, there is no reason to believe that the local criminals involved or even those who apparently sympathise with them will be overly impressed by intentions and/or warnings.
The time for talk has passed. Actions that speak louder than words, but unfortunately will also have an impact on the law-abiding citizen, are now needed to once-and-for-all get to the few who would try to spoil things for others. They simply can't be allowed to do so.