PHILIPSBURG--Although still operating at minimum capacity, the St. Maarten Police Force is making progress toward the 2017 goal of 289 officers.
"We are far from where we need to be, but we've progressed," said Minister of Justice Roland Duncan at the force's anniversary ceremony on Monday at which he and Police Chief Commissioner Peter de Witte talked about progress and pride in the dedication and loyalty of officers.
An important item in the St. Maarten Police Force Plan of Action is to increase the size of the Police Force. The immediate, but temporary, solution includes the employment of 20 officers from the Netherlands and another 22 from the region. The Police Force hopes to reach its 2017 goal with local officers forming the majority.
Also present at the ceremony on Monday were 13 police academy recruits and a larger group of Auxiliary Police Officers (BAVPOL) trainees.
Thirty-six of the BAVPOL trainees are working towards becoming official police officers. Before entering the police academy, these trainees will complete 6-8 months of surveillance training and follow a transition Dutch language course. The selected 36 are being divided to cover different tasks, such as intake, surveillance, and assisting officers in daily duties.
The remaining BAVPOL trainees will be trained to work in the prison, Coast Guard, Customs and in other law enforcement agencies.
The 13 police academy recruits will complete their practical training in St. Maarten. The group has been divided in two for the current module Intake and Service. Those in the Intake group work in the Judicial and Detective Departments learning to file official reports. The others help in the reception area, improving their customer service skills.
Handling real cases, the recruits are still very much enthusiastic and motivated.
"They are excited to see how [the police] operate in real life." said a police spokesperson.
Recruits and BAVPOL trainees will be trained specifically for tasks such as transporting prisoners to and from Pointe Blanche.
There are plans to place substations in St. Peters, Belvedere, Cole Bay and other districts as the Police Force grows. This will help officers become more familiar with the community and respond to calls more quickly.
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