Police want roads in
Mullet Bay to be lit
PHILIPSBURG/St. Maarten--The derelict apartment buildings in Mullet Bay are believed by local authorities to be hideouts for bandits who plan and execute criminal activities from within these walls, robbing and terrifying visitors.
For this reason the police force of St. Maarten has issued a plea to relevant authorities to install street lights around the area to increase visibility for all persons accessing it.
Police spokesman Inspector Johan “Janchi” Leonard said Wednesday that the police were very concerned about the area and saw an “urgent” need for the entire road through the Mullet Bay property to be lit, as this would be the beginning of a major deterrent for bandits who lurk in the area.
He said, “We want to ensure that the area is safe for all persons to travel and in order to do so we are convinced that there is a need for proper lighting. We understand that there are some difficulties when dealing with this particular piece of property, but the lives of our visitors are at stake and should not be sacrificed.”
That area was recently called a trouble area by police who had consistently received complaints by visitors about robberies. In a bid to send a message to bandits, a group of officers formed a tactical unit and managed to capture two suspects from St. Lucia and one from the Dominican Republic who were reportedly committing robberies there.
However, Leonard said this work by police would be made even easier if the area were properly lit and if there were routine patrols by security personnel. He said bandits hid in the buildings near the road, watched as tourists passed in vehicles and on foot, and planned their course of action from there.
They also retreat to the derelict buildings and this makes finding them after a robbery difficult, although not impossible, as shown by police dog Moos when he nabbed one of the three suspects.
According to Leonard, “It must be made clear that police officers are constantly in the area, but that this area being as dark as it is creates opportunity for bandits to act.”
St Maarten/St. Martin vacation rental
St. Maarten Fishing
