Do the crime, do the time
The arrival of an Interim Coach for the Windward Islands Police Force and 13 Dutch Marechaussees to assist the local officers for a year (see Thursday paper) is good news. Crime remains a major concern on the island and it is good to know the force is being beefed up.
What’s also important is that the efforts to improve the force are supported by all relevant parties, such as the Justice Minister, the Lt. Governors of St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba, the Head of the Windward Islands Prosecutor’s Office and the labour unions representing police officers. This will provide broad-based support for at least the start of the improvement process.
There are still problems when it comes to equipment and staffing, of course, but the allocation of 50 per cent of the second Netherlands Antilles Safety Plan to St. Maarten should help address those issues in the near future. That is also important to instil confidence in especially the business community that local law enforcement will be capable of providing an adequate level of security, also in light of the upcoming constitutional changes.
Especially as an island with a one-pillar tourism economy, St. Maarten/St. Martin simply cannot afford slacking on crime to the point where it threatens the livelihood of practically everyone living here. Criminals must not get the idea that they can get away with it and, apart from the police, the prosecution also has an important role in this.
Also important in that regard is that the prison has sufficient capacity and staff to ensure that people convicted of crimes actually serve the entire sentence, rather than granting major reductions because of overcrowding as now takes place regularly. Society fully expects those who do the crime to do the time.
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