PHILIPSBURG--Voluntary Corps of St. Maarten VKS patrols with the police are to be reactivated in an effort to put "more blue on the roads" to stem rising crime, said Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger on Tuesday. This will put some fifteen to twenty VKS officers back on patrol in the coming weeks.
Police Chief Peter de Witte is compiling a list of VKSers who had served in patrols with the police in the past, for review by government. Many VKSers who were working with the police have gone back to their regular jobs within government, government-owned companies and the private sector.
To tap into this source of trained manpower, Heyliger said the Council of Ministers would look into making VKSers working for government available to the police for the next six months and would request government-owned companies to do the same.
This move will help the Police Force "get up to speed" as it continues massive recruitment, he said, adding that discussions had been held recently with Justice Minister Roland Duncan and De Witte about the restarting of the patrols.
Discussions centred on the Soualiga Patrol and VKS patrols on the Great Bay beach promenade and in Philipsburg that were very visible in past years. He added "some of these things have dropped out" and needed to be restarted.
Minister Duncan has been asked to look into police working more in the tourist areas and districts, but limited personnel continues to be an issue, Heyliger said.
Calling crime the "greatest threat to society and the economy," he said, "We need to put our hand on this right now and start getting after all of the positions, whether it is small or even large crimes."
The move to restart the VKS patrols comes also from the backlash of the three recent robberies/attacks committed against Carnival Corporation cruise ship passengers that began with cruise line officials labelling the country's crime situation as being "commonplace."
Heyliger said that losing one cruise ship would be "a tremendous blow" to the economy, as would losing a major airline charter or regular airline service. The crime situation "cannot be handled delicately any more, but harshly."
Carnival Corporation Vice President, Caribbean Relations Gordon Buck addressed the two crime incidents involving cruise passengers from Carnival Victory that occurred on April 16 in an e-mail to St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies CEO Mark Mingo.
Buck stated in his e-mail: "Mark, I am sure that you understand that criminal activity at St. Maarten is unfortunately becoming commonplace and in conversation with Michele Paige of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, we feel it prudent to open discussion addressing our concerns with Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger."
Mingo had said, "This is no longer minor matter regarding sporadic occurrence of crime against cruise passengers. If left unaddressed, the country stands to lose its major source of income."
"A reduction in revenues would eventually lead to the Harbour defaulting on its financial obligations to service its loans. Similarly, other businesses in Philipsburg and elsewhere would be faced with the same dilemma," according to Mingo.
Speaking about Justice Minister Roland Duncan's controversial gun policy, Heyliger said it had been up to the Lt. Governor in the past to give an applicant a gun based on how the person was viewed.
"Finally, you have a policy in place," which means that an applicant has "to go through certain regulations," he said, adding that it was not likely that a person selling drugs would apply for a gun. The request most likely would be from "a law-abiding citizen."
As for the ability of residents who own guns to protect themselves and their homes, the laws still have to be reviewed, Heyliger said. As it stands, a licensed gun-holder could be found at fault if he or she shot someone breaking into his/her home. Duncan also is reviewing these laws.
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