Dear Editor,
Our beautiful island of Sint Maarten is on the way to lose the title of “Friendly Island” and “Second Home” to many visitors because of the recent upsurge of the crime condition due to the inefficiency of the government on every front.
To the best of my knowledge, the total number of the violent, daring daylight robberies in the year 2025 surpasses any year in the past no matter which government and/or party were in power. The criminals have become fearless and ruthless to the extent they now target the crowded locations.
Our only source of income is tourism and most of the robberies in the jewelry stores on Front Street and in the hotels and resorts are very well witnessed by the tourists and in this era of social media everyone can come to know in a very short period of time. Do you think we will be able to get the tourism for an exceedingly long time if this situation continues?
Well, I do not think so looking at the history of St. Croix, Haiti, and some of the central American countries. Who is getting the brunt of it and will get hurt the most? We the hardworking locals, employees, and employers or the commoners who wake up every morning to work hard to put the food on the table to feed the family.
The question arises who can contain and control this mess? The government! But every government just gives the same old BS and reason that the previous ones made the coffers empty, so we do not have funds to hire new personnel and pay overtime to the ones that we already have to provide the security which is actually the fundamental right of every citizen and it is the fundamental duty of the government.
But every now and then most of MPs are overseas attending some sort of conference or workshop in Panama, Curacao, Netherlands, and all over the world and not forgetting they are drawing a huge monthly salary. So, where the money is coming from? Should not those funds be invested in public security and save our only source of income the “TOURISM.”
The present government has failed on every aspect and now they have gone to the Netherlands to beg for support. Is Netherlands going to provide you support without getting anything in return? They will demand the transparency in the governance and want to see where the money is going but would our leaders accept that condition.
The Netherlands has full right to demand that. When your child grows up and still lives off your income then you have the full right to dictate the rules of the house and if not, he will be more than welcome to provide for himself and live by his rules. It is that simple. But the public will never come to know about this. We will only be told that, “We had very fruitful and positive conversation and we are working to fine tune the things.”
When you elect the MPs, see their biodata as what experience are they bringing to Parliament from their past if any. The person who never held a job or had any experience should not be elected to be your MP.
The fruit will always depend on the seed you plant. You can not plant a lemon seed and keep your fingers crossed that somehow you will harvest the sweet mangoes.
Wake up and next time you vote use your best judgement and don’t see what they say, see what they do! Remember the saying, “cheat me once shame on you, but cheat me twice it’s shame on me.”
F.T.
Dear Editor,
It took the brazen attack on our safety and security in Maho to get the attention of Police Chief Commissioner Carl John and the Chief Prosecutor. What a sad situation! Their worries came way too late and so they do not have my attention at all. The police chief and the prosecutor’s office have failed this community! Neither of them has the capability nor the empathy to deal with the grievances of this society, and so they really need to step down and let others execute their tasks.
So, what is causing this restlessness among the youth? Is it due to economic hardship or just plain rebellion – an uprising against this unfair system – or is it because their fathers have neglected them and it’s their way of escaping the pain of abandonment? Until the source of the matter is being identified, analyzed and tackled in a way that supports the offenders, nothing will change; which keeps the cycle of crime spinning out of control.
Repeatedly, I have stated that there are unseen hands behind these robberies – people who we least expect or may suspect, but there isn’t enough proof to bring them to trial as yet. Apart from this belief, these perpetrators are always armed with guns. Then the question is: Where are these guns coming from? Who are the suppliers, both oversees and locally? And, if the weapons are so rampant and so easily accessible, how do these firearms pass through the different security checkpoints?
There is only one logical answer to this pressing matter, and that is: all sectors of the Justice chain are corroded with corrupted personnel. Here is where the focus needs to be. Because, for guns to flourish like this on a 16-square-mile radius, there must be a well-coordinated system among these corrupted personnel. This is why I have consistently called on Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling to bring in a squad from Holland to monitor the police force, Customs, Immigration and the Coastguard.
These corrupted personnel must be rooted out of the Justice system, because they are not just committing high treason; they are destroying the youth, the country and generations to come. But this monitoring is not limited to guns. What about the drugs that are damaging the future of our youth and disrupting the harmony of several families? Which Justice personnel are allowing the drugs to pass through security spot checks?
So, the visibility of Marines is great, but it is still a minor solution to the surge of robberies, which are influenced by being armed with weapons and possible consumption of some kind of narcotic substance before they commit these crimes. The elimination or the severe reduction in drugs and guns is a major factor in stemming these violent robberies. The Marines would not be here forever. Then when they leave, the cycle repeats itself, because the core of the problem was not tackled.
But robbery is not the only violent act that is committed at gunpoint. How about when spouses are brutally attacked by their drunken or drugged-up partners who use their guns to intimidate and control them? Where are the safety and security for them, when they are too scared to report these incidents? Again, the robberies are visual, but what about the silent and emotional trauma that these other victims are forced to endure?
Very worrisome is that: With all these constant disturbances in security, why haven’t the fathers of these youngsters formed a block and stand up against the behaviour of their children? Are they also victims or, have they become prisoners within their individual households? Just as concerning is that: who are the recipients of these stolen items? Are they sold as is and have we created a society that no longer trusts the Justice system to report a crime?
Equally troubling is the lack of detention cells at the Point Blanche prison. So, when these four (4) culprits and others are caught, would they be released into the community, due to this lack of cell capacity? Is this not a major incentive for breeding these criminals?
To conclude, even though the situation is very disturbing and the community is looking forward to a swift resolution, I sincerely hope that law enforcement would concentrate heavily on these criminals’ psyche, to better understand what is driving them to commit these crimes, rather than focusing on the urge to punish.
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
What do we expect when we have people walking around with security dogs, people in different uniforms representing security companies with names like First Response, Sherrif etc.
Literally names that will encourage anyone of which the first responders of their country are the police, the sheriffs, firemen and emergency personnel to accept that these persons indeed are the first responders. If one would compare the police uniforms to their uniforms one would quicker approach the security guards than the police for the police dress as if they are ready for a riot.
As long as I can remember police in uniform have always worn a cap. I do not know what the motivation was, but it is something I noticed since Peter de Witte was in charge. From then already I commented on it.
Another thing of which I am not sure of, is if the police uniforms are protected. Because of late any Tom, Dick and Harry wear clothes resembling the police uniform, anyone can impersonate a police officer.
In this time and day., the police have to be proactive. A few weeks ago I saw an article in the paper where Chief John is accepting something to do with crime prevention. My first impression was to react to that article because I didn't agree with the police making propaganda with what they have.
The word integrity came to mind My impression is that those in authority are not really police minded. Hence my reaction to the article concerning police impersonator. I hope this will serve as an incentive for the police to realize that not everybody who grin their teeth at you is your friend.
Anyone who impersonate you with a negative intention does not respect you, neither your position nor your job.
A gentleman said to me “No motorbikes on the Front and Backstreet, why not the Boardwalk also?”
My answer was. “Ask them.”
I wrote it before and I mention it again: Why must a car have a muffler and nothing is done to the motorbike? Since the motorbike is not a general emergency vehicle why not not limit its capacity to 50 kilometers per hour.
With the amount of motor vehicles and intense traffic on Sint Maarten the speed limit is not going to increase and most likely will decrease, so let us start something positive. I was told that if I write this my insurance company is going to look for a reason not to insure my car. Walking is healthy and hopefully by then whichever government would have fixed the public transportation.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
For the past 15 years, our island has endured constant turmoil. In that time, we have had almost as many government changes as years of autonomy. The current administration is now faced with the accumulated consequences of that instability: corruption, hurricanes, COVID, the GEBE crisis, more corruption, and a political landscape where both the government and the opposition spend more time pointing fingers than solving problems.
Every elected or appointed official claims to be “for the people,” yet each new government tries to reinvent the wheel. The opposition often focuses on blame – forgetting that many of its members once held the same positions and had the same opportunities to act. If they had truly put the island first when they were in power, we would not be in the situation we face today.
In truth, our foundation is deteriorating. After 15 years of political and administrative instability, we still lack genuine long-term planning. What we see instead is reaction, crisis management, and a constant effort to put out fires.
We speak about independence, yet we struggle to manage the present. One of the underlying issues is that our laws are outdated, and consequences for wrongdoing are minimal or nonexistent. When there are no real penalties, those who undermine our democracy continue to “play the game,” confident that nothing will happen to them.
We cannot place all the blame on law enforcement. Our officers earn wages comparable to someone working in a convenience store – and this is not a new problem. Teachers, healthcare workers, firefighters, and others who carry the island on their backs have faced the same neglect and broken promises for years.
Meanwhile, the “concrete jungle” continues to expand, bringing its own problems: sewage failures, traffic congestion, and uncontrolled development. More is not always better.
Meaningful change will come only when the population acknowledges the truth and demands real accountability. Or – instead of tearing each other down – the government and the opposition can finally unite, bringing together the many brilliant minds on this island with one shared goal: securing the future of the island and its people.
We must stop reinventing the wheel. We must start working together.
In the meantime, we need decisive action to safeguard our only major source of income: tourism. This is not about money, but about security. Requesting assistance from the Netherlands – including Dutch police, the Marines, the VKS, and the Coast Guard – and, if necessary, implementing temporary martial-law-level measures, could stabilize the situation. This would give the current government two uninterrupted years to produce real, measurable progress.
If our leaders truly believe they are serving the island and its people, then now is the moment to prove it.
Garth Steyn
Dear Editor,
The more I give thought to these pressing matters of concern, the more they are compounded with unanswered questions – inquiries that need clarity – complete transparency that demands reliability and security, for every single worker within the government apparatus.
For this reason, I started responding to the articles from Members of Parliament Omar Ottley and Lyndon Lewis, with regard to their views on government’s performance at the 1-year mark; but took a pause because of these nagging questions that kept resurfacing in my mind, again and again. The MPs expressed their dissatisfaction across the board, but I will focus on the ministries of General Affairs and Justice.
Throughout this year, these two ministries were plagued with unresolved issues, which led to Prime Minister Luc Mercelina and Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling being bombarded with unlimited criticism. The MPs' grievances include: GEBE, ambulance and fire departments, seniors, the prison, crime and the national decrees. When I look at the common denominator among all of these issues, it boils down to one component, which is personnel.
In light of this observation, and my quest for clarity, I’ve decided to focus my attention on why the responsibility of personnel is broken up over certain ministries. Here are my inquiries: If the Ministry of General Affairs is responsible for personnel within the structure of government, then why would the Justice workers fall directly under the Ministry of Justice and not General Affairs?
As I recalled, before the constitutional change in 2010, the leader of government was in charge of personnel, completely. Currently, the Ministry of General Affairs (the same construct as the previous status) is responsible for personnel, supposedly. The only difference is that the word ministry, replaced department. So again, why would the workers within the Ministry of Justice fall directly under Minister Nathalie Tackling, and not Prime Minister Luc Mercelina?
Did any Minister of Justice change the structure? If so, when was it done and what was the reason behind that change? When I look at the chain of developments that involve the personnel from the Fire and Ambulance Departments and those within Justice, they are all fighting for the same cause – the correct salary scale and retroactive payments. So, why should any justice minister be burdened with this separation of personnel, when the ministry is so huge, and demands so much hands-on attention?
Is it not, that this separation of personnel is the cause for the perceived stagnation of the Justice Ministry, when this should be the sole responsibility of the Prime Minister? When Minister Tackling was in parliament on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, she publicized that there were 4 different payrolls within her ministry. The question is: What would constitute such a system? Who did it benefit the most and at what cost to government?
Here again, the minister had to bring all 4 payrolls into alignment, which took away valuable time from accomplishing other goals that needed to be completed. If Prime Minster Luc Mercelina is responsible for personnel, then all should fall under the Ministry of General Affairs, without exceptions. Here is where the prime minister has failed to bring the entire personnel into one system, so that he could focus on their grievances and collaborate with individual ministers, where necessary.
To conclude, even though the Members of Parliament in question have the right to criticize the ministers on their performance, they too, must take some responsibility for asking repetitive and redundant questions that do not benefit the community, all because they have failed to look beyond what they see.
Joslyn Morton
