PHILIPSBURG--Crimes involving firearms were up fifty per cent in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, said Chief Prosecutor Mirjam Mol. So far this year, 24 crimes involving firearms have been registered by the Prosecutor’s Office.
In the first half of this year, 58 per cent of St. Maarten’s registered crimes were categorised as mistreatment, in Dutch “mishandeling.” According to Mol, this signals a shift to more aggressive, violent crimes.
“The struggle is real; there are nasty things happening. Crimes are increasing and becoming more aggressive. Violence seems to be the new norm and it reaches to youngsters as well. The ‘Friendly Island’ is perhaps not so friendly,” said Mol during the induction of three new judges at the Philipsburg Courthouse on Friday.
While noting that criminal law and the judiciary have a major role to play in crime prevention, “Criminal law will not be able to solve these societal problems alone,” she said.
“We need broad commitment [and – Ed.] responsibility among many more parties to be concerned about the growing violence in St. Maarten and the perspective of St. Maarten’s youth.
“That has to do with decent housing, a roof over your head that does not leak; with decent infrastructure, sewage, street lighting; safe streets and neighborhoods with good, safe education, accessible health care; and parents who have the time to worry about their children instead of holding two or more jobs just to keep their heads above water.
“There is a great social problem, which is also seen in criminal law. Only when we can bring down the frustration limit in people can we expect the large number of violent crimes to decrease,” said Mol.
