PHILIPSBURG--The Antillean Parliament’s Justice Committee applauds community-rooted efforts to curb crime, but says the groups need to work together.
The committee will convene meetings on the floor of Parliament to discuss crime in the Windward Islands.
Members were on the island Thursday and Friday for meetings with anti-crime groups. Present at the press conference were Justice Committee Chairman Marlon Jamaloodin, Members of Parliament (MPs) Rodolphe Samuel of St. Maarten, Nelson Navarro and D. Isenia, and Elco Rosario of the Crime Task Force St. Maarten.
MP Samuel said that although some community groups were well organised and active, others needed to improve their organisation. “In addition, these groups would do well to work together in … preventing and solving crime,” according to a press statement from Government Information Services (GIS).
Samuel added that the Justice Committee would request more information on the crime situation, would look closely at the numbers, and would come up with some short-term solutions and preventive measures that could be taken. It also will look for ways to decrease crime in the long run. He added that efforts had been made to curb crime, but the results had not been seen as yet. More organised groups need to be well functioning, he said.
The Justice Committee will construct a report and have discussions in Parliament to address the issue of crime in the Windward Islands, especially in St. Maarten.
