SIMPSON BAY--The death of a crew member of megayacht Cheetah Moon over the weekend has sparked outrage from St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA) that crimes related to the fragile yachting industry have escalated into a brutal crime.
Association Treasurer Lorraine Talmi told The Daily Herald, "This is not the first time nor, do I fear, will it be the last. In fact, this is the second time in a week that a crew member was abducted from the Simpson Bay area. The first one managed to escape, and perhaps that is why, if it is the same gang, the second one wasn't nearly as lucky."
The latest victim was a French national ? the chef aboard the megayacht, who succumbed to his wounds in Martinique where he was airlifted after he was found on Mullet Bay Beach early Saturday morning.
An infuriated Talmi said that aside from the devastating consequences to the marine industry and to St. Maarten as a destination, this latest tragic incident "has far-reaching consequences to all of us personally. When will it be you or I? The people committing these crimes are not St. Maarteners. They are not productive members of our society. They are gangsters and criminals with unconscionable minds.
"We don't have the resources on-island to resolve these heinous crimes. We need help from abroad and we need to demand that it be provided, and that there is more police presence in our neighbourhoods, that something be done to deter crime at all levels. Otherwise, it doesn't matter how successful we are or what ideas we have for the future, we will have a constantly-eroding base upon which to build it.
"Citizens and residents must demand immediate support for expanding and enhancing the Police Force. They need training and high tech labs, so that they can more often do simple crime fighting techniques like finger-printing."
Talmi said the detective staff should be expanded to work in 24-hour shifts, so that someone is always available to the victims. The detectives also should have the support they need to actually gather and analyse evidence.
Calling for "more blue" on the streets to stop crimes before they happen, Talmi said this was needed immediately, "not after the budget is approved, we need them NOW! People are not only losing property, but they are losing their lives.
"Seemingly petty crimes are addressed such as loitering at night without purpose in front of a bar, operating gypsy cabs and facilitating illegal activity, such as drug-dealing and unlicensed prostitution."
She said the Mullet Bay Resort ruins "must be torn down and the area cleaned up and made safe, with patrols, and proper lighting. Not later, now. Why do we constantly live with this dangerous scourge?
"Perhaps too many of us have sat by when similar crimes were inflicted on others. The Indian Merchant who was shot on his doorstep, the
Haitian girl who was brutally assaulted and murdered, a neighbour whose home was burglarised, a colleague who was carjacked. It is time we made a stand together and demand security for us all before it is too late!"
Nicolas Anelka Television Peter Atherton Regulators Norway International criminal court
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