WILLEMSTAD — The new minister of Justice Magali Jacoba, the successor of David Dick who became Deputy, started her first week yesterday.
She held various introduction conversations, which in more cases than one, led to the drawing of extra attention to pressing problems. For example, the Court President and Attorney General discussed the lack of juvenile detention.
Jacoba’s first working day started at seven-thirty with a visit to Lieutenant Governor Lisa Dindial, the local head of Police. The minister discussed the recent developments within the Curaçao corps, in her capacity of administrator of the Antillean police corps’. This was followed by an acquaintance tour to the six institutes, which are part of the Antillean justice chain. The new minister then successively visited the Court of Justice, the Public Prosecutor, the Security Service Netherlands Antilles (VNA), the Corps Police Curaçao, the National Police Training Institute (LPO), and the Governments Reformatory School (GOG).
With each of these institutions, Jacoba was welcomed either by the director, or in the case of the court, the president, and members of the management team who had prepared a presentation.
Accelerated pace
As former ad interim Lieutenant Governor, Jacoba already has ample experience with the Curaçao police corps. In the conversation with the Lieutenant Governor, both discussed those matters requiring immediate attention, in depth. The first matter of importance is that the further development of the corps is continued at an accelerated pace.
During the meeting with Court President Lisbeth Hoefdraad and Attorney General Dick Piar, it was clear that an urgent solution was required for the lack of adequate juvenile detention as well as psychosocial guidance of youngsters who had chosen the wrong path.
The visit to the Governments Reformatory School (GOG) confirmed the seriousness of the problem. The closed department of the GOG at Brasami in Otrobanda can only accommodate a limited number of people. On the other hand, there are still places available at the semi-open boarding school of the GOG in Groot Kwartier. However, the infrastructure is not suitable to take care of hardened criminal youngsters. Minister Jacoba’s predecessor David Dick had already submitted a request for support to the Netherlands last year. For the time being, there are only promises for psychosocial support.
The National Training Institute is pleased with the arrival of a minister of Justice with an educational background, the first in the history of the Antilles. According to director Alpha Falbru, "as educational institute, the LPO was the odd man out within Justice". "We are happy that we now have a minister who is familiar with our field and we hope to raise the training to a higher level in mutual agreement."
Minister Jacoba was pleasantly surprised by the broad training perspectives of the LPO, which does not only train officers but also for example offers training for adjunct-officers of Justice.
Taken from www.amigoe.com