Dear Editor,
The decision by the Minister of Justice, Anna Richardson, to return the responsibility of the police holding cells after 12 years to the management of the police force of St. Maarten (KPSM), in the manner of which she did, has only caused confusion within the organization.
It is indeed the norm in the Kingdom and worldwide that the management of any police force manages the police holding cells, but that is done with a proper plan of approach and structure. The Minister of Justice also mentioned that it is not unique for the police force of St. Maarten, as the holding cells were managed by the police management in the past, that the Ministry of Justice and Police Force has updated its function book with the function detainee guard.
The Minister of Justice stated that the decision was not abrupt in the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday November 8, 2023, and that discussions had been ongoing for some time and even years since she assumed office, with KPSM and the prison management but have proven futile and the respective managements would need to elaborate further on the matter.
The function of the detainee guard is new to KPSM. No recruitment was done for such a function. The Minister of Justice doesn’t have a clue as to how the police holding cells were managed before the so-called temporary decision by then Minister of Justice Roland Duncan back in 2011. At the beginning of each shift, two police officers would be assigned to do a cell check. Not that police officers would function as prison guards and definitely not as a detainee guard attached to the police holding cells.
My question to the Minister of Justice: What is the job description of a detainee guard or security? What salary scale is attached to that function? How many positions are available for the function? What type of training would one get for such a function?
The Minister failed to mention that the new function book is not in effect and that no one should be placed in such a function that currently doesn’t exist in the current organization and is also against the current police legal position “Rechtspositie”.
The management of KPSM has issued letters to certain police officers. Many of these police officers are considered “persona non grata” or police officers that aren’t liked and or continuously being victimized by the management of KPSM.
The signed letter by Chief of Police Carl M. John reads:
“With this letter, I would like to inform you of an important development within the Ministry of Justice. The Justice Minister has recently assigned KPSM to take over the management of the cell complex effective from November 11, which means that from then on we will be in charge of the task of detainee security. This change was initiated from the Ministry of Justice.
“The management of detainee security will be transferred to the divisie Executieve Ondersteuning and this will be the responsibility of the Head of Executive Support. This will ensure a more streamlined and coordinated approach to our activities.
“Management has decided that you will become part of the new team of detainee security guards. This means you will be working in the cell complex at KPSM starting November 11.
“A coordinator has been appointed for day-to-day management and as a point of contact for the new group. This coordinator will ensure that operational tasks run smoothly and will be available to handle any staff questions and concerns.
“The new shift schedule will be on a full-continuous system, meaning that four shifts will be used. This means that day, evening and night shifts will be run to meet the operational needs of the cell complex.
“Next week the new schedule will be published in mDr and it will be in effect from Saturday, November 11. So please keep a close eye on mDr. We understand that these changes may require adjustment, but we are confident that these changes are in good hands with you.
“We appreciate your dedication and commitment to KPSM and trust that you and your colleagues will meet the new challenges with the same determination. We look forward to a successful transition and thank you for your continued dedication to the security of St. Maarten.”
This is an insult to police officers who have studied for 16 months to 2 years to become full-fledged police officers to serve and protect the Sint Maarten people. This decision by the Minister was abrupt and will hinder growth of police officers within the organization. Some of these officers share their ambition to become detectives or to be specialized in other functions. Many officers share the sentiments that this is rather a demotion with no possibility of growth.
In such a situation, If I was Minister of Justice, I would have waited until the function book was official and started a recruitment drive for the position of detainee guard or security within KPSM.
Lyndon C.J. Lewis
NOW political party candidate
Dear Government of St. Maarten,
I hope this message finds you well. There is a matter of urgent concern within our community regarding the recent news of Orco Bank's acquisition of First Caribbean Bank and the potential termination of all 25 current employees.
As concerned citizens, we seek clarity on the actions that the government of St. Maarten plans to take in response to this situation. The potential job losses have raised apprehensions within the community about the well-being of the affected employees and the broader economic impact.
We kindly request information on any measures, interventions, or negotiations that the government is considering to address this issue and safeguard the interests of our citizens. Transparency in this matter is crucial for building trust and ensuring that the community is informed about the steps being taken on their behalf.
We appreciate your attention to this urgent matter and look forward to receiving updates on the government's actions in response to the acquisition and termination of employees.
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Quincy Rochester
Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding a recent development with our local telecommunications company, TelEm Group of Companies. In recent times, the company has unilaterally increased the monetary conversion rate they apply to their services from 1.78 to 1.82. This decision has raised significant issues for many of the company's customers, including myself.
The concern arises from the fact that the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten has officially set the conversion rate at 1.79. This official rate serves as the benchmark for financial transactions in our region and is meant to ensure a fair and consistent approach to currency conversion. The telecommunications company's decision to use a rate of 1.82 is not only inconsistent with the official rate but also has financial implications for their customers.
This discrepancy in conversion rates can have a direct impact on customers’ bills and expenses, causing financial inconvenience and uncertainty. It is essential for service providers to adhere to official rates and regulations to maintain transparency and fairness for their customers.
I urge the TelEm Group of Companies to reevaluate their conversion rate and align it with the officially established rate. This would ensure that customers are not unfairly burdened with the additional cost incurred due to the discrepancy.
I also call upon the regulatory authorities to monitor and enforce adherence to the officially established conversion rate to protect the interests of consumers and maintain financial integrity within our community.
In a time when economic stability is paramount, it is crucial that service providers act ethically and responsibly. I hope that our local telecommunications company will address this issue promptly and make the necessary adjustments to ensure that their customers are treated fairly.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I hope that by bringing this issue to light, we can work together to resolve it for the benefit of our community.
Sincerely,
Cedric R. Peterson
Dear Editor,
I, Julian Rollocks Jr, noticed with great concern that on November 9, 2023, it was reported in the media that GEBE intends to give its clients their outstanding bills in bulk with a distinct possibility of clients getting 20 outstanding bills simultaneously. GEBE also announced that clients would only have a 30 day grace period to settle their outstanding bills. I, Julian Rollocks Jr., would like to pose the following questions to the Board and Management of GEBE.
Firstly, with the Christmas season steadily approaching and the difficult economic times that the public is facing, where are they supposed to find money to make bulk payments of outstanding bills? Has GEBE considered a payment plan, and if so, is GEBE willing to accept, for example, NAf. 50 a month on $2,000.00 worth of outstanding bills? Has GEBE considered the plight of our pensioners and people with varying illnesses when they have to contend with these bulk payments?
I am calling on Prime Minister Jacobs and the Council of Ministers to step in and resolve GEBE’s bulk payment proposal, because 80% of the general public do not have comparable salaries to the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to make bulk payments.
In August of 2022, I proposed via a press release that GEBE introduce a prepaid electricity service to the general public of St. Maarten due to the ongoing issues that GEBE has had with its billing system. I indicated that prepay meters are a “pay as you go” (PAYG) system that would offer GEBE customers the luxury of not having to worry about monthly bills. If for some reason, you are struggling to pay GEBE’s bills, prepayment meters can be used to repay a set amount over a period of time that is suitable to the customer.
I also stated that the implementation of a prepaid system would allow our citizens to control how much they are willing to spend on energy usage rather than getting unexpected bills on a monthly basis, while also cutting administrative costs of GEBE.
On the 24th of October, Prime Minister Jacobs and the director of NRPB had a meeting where it was stated that the NRPB would be assisting GEBE. When does the NRPB intend to assist GEBE and in what capacity does the NRPB intend to do so?
GEBE’s decision to implement bulk payments is not in the general interest of the public of St. Maarten and I am calling on the Prime Minister, Council of Ministers, and Parliament, to resolve the bulk payment proposal as soon as possible because it will be detrimental to the people of St. Maarten.
Julian Rollocks Jr.
Dear Editor,
In The Daily Herald of Monday, November 6, 2023, in the article regarding the annual Courtney Gibson Spelling Bee, on page 3, I believe, I should make the following observation.
In the second paragraph third line, I read “Fitzpatrick snagged the first place after correctly spelling a Guyanese word, etc.”
If I am not mistaken the young man Fitzpatrick is of Guyanese descent/heritage, the other contestant is of Indian descent/heritage, I think.
The finalists were presented with new words that were not previously given to the spellers. The young Fitzpatrick won after correctly spelling the Guyanese word in the final round.
This doesn’t sound right to me and in my opinion, furthermore opens up possibilities of more controversy in future.
If the word is described as a “Guyanese word”, my assumption is that the word is a creole word. Since it may have been a word specific to one culture or heritage background, I do not think it should be in a Spelling Bee. To be more specific, a word specifically tied to a specific culture or heritage should not be in this Spelling Bee that is open to all children on St. Maarten.
I appreciate the effort put forward by the committee to have this annual Spelling Bee, but I have to voice my disagreement and disappointment with the outcome of the Spelling Bee Contest.
Oldine Bryson Pantophlet
