At first glance Friday’s front page might have seemed to contain mostly bad tidings. After all, three stories were crime-related and the fourth was about the local sale of canned beverages with double
labels.
However, two cases in reality regarded the arrest of suspected robbers, one of which in a joint operation of French St. Martin Gendarmes and Dutch St. Maarten police. The latter is actually very good news.
Talks about better law enforcement coordination between the countries sharing a relatively small island have been ongoing it seems like forever, out of an obvious need. In the past people committing illegal acts on either the Dutch or French side could cross the open border quickly to greatly reduce the risk of being caught anytime soon.
Some practical working agreements had been made over the years, but the lack of a formal arrangement still was felt. That it took so long to realise had to do with the required involvement of Paris because St. Martin is an integral part of France, while it also concerned foreign relations for the Kingdom of the Netherlands that are handled in The Hague. A protocol finally was signed and ratified, of which the public is now beginning to see the positive results.
The cooperation in this case between the authorities, including prosecutors, is an example of how effective such an approach can be. Information on the getaway car used in Marigot ultimately led to the arrests in St. Maarten.
Moreover, it turns out there is a system whereby the list of penal offences on one side of the island can be added to those on the other and handled in court accordingly. This means delinquents now stand a much greater chance of being tried for everything they are accused of doing wrong on both sides.
Those who helped make this possible deserve to be commended. Through their combined efforts, “The Friendly Island” may well become a considerably safer place.
