As a newspaper it remains important to closely observe and write about what goes wrong in society. However, that does not mean positive developments should be ignored.
A good example is Wednesday’s front page story on the Law Enforcement Council’s third sub-inspection report. It says that out of in total 50 recommendations regarding the St. Maarten Police Force KPSM, 34 were fully followed, five partially and 11 not at all. That seems like a generally reasonable success rate, although obviously far from ideal.
While the sub-inspections started in 2020, they came after 43 inspection reports published between 2012 and 2018. The upgrading effort based on a plan of approach has thus been ongoing for more than a decade.
There is also a continued structural bottleneck of insufficient human, material and financial resources to contend with. The stagnation concerns especially areas where follow-up depends on staffing at the Justice Ministry.
Still, having implemented roughly two-thirds of the suggested measures so far bodes well for the future of the local police. More is needed, including additional investment, but those who actually work on making related improvements deserve credit for their perseverance and patience.
The same can be said for officers who waited all these years to see their legal position and accompanying pay regulated, a process only now being completed. Better late than never.
