The killing of two persons found dead in their respective cars over the weekend understandably sent shockwaves throughout the community. While it may be human nature to try to connect these two cases, people should be careful with jumping to conclusions.
Indications are that Saturday night’s murder in Simpson Bay might be related to a violent incident in the same area at the end of May that culminated in a non-fatal shooting in the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) parking lot. However, it’s too early to tell for sure and there was no immediate reason to believe the body encountered Monday morning in St. Peters has anything to do with either.
Nevertheless, the number of recent suspected assassination attempts is reason for concern. On May 8 a security officer known as “Popcorn” was gunned down in Cay Bay. Police believe this regarded retaliation for the victim’s involvement with an earlier shootout.
On June 19 a man was shot near the pet shop on Union Road in Cole Bay and taken to the French-side hospital. Although he survived the ordeal, what exactly led to the incident had not been clear.
Under the current circumstances, Leiden University in the Netherlands setting up a Dutch Caribbean Homicide Monitor (see related story) seems quite timely. The idea is to get better scientific data on the background and nature of these capital crimes, considered essential for preventive policy, but also the investigation.
Such research is obviously welcome, but the proliferation of firearms appears to be a major factor. The two-nation island with its open border as well as many basically unguarded bays and inlets is very vulnerable to the entry of weapons.
In addition, the Dutch side has no import duties, limiting the Customs role to spot-checks for illegal items such as drugs and guns unless specific tips are received. As stated before, a modern container scanner at the harbour would allow for more frequent and effective controls of cargo both coming and going.
