In meetings with various stakeholders on Tuesday including the Executive Council of the Public Entity of Saba, Probation Officer James Williams and Chief of Basic Police Care on Saba Durk Hiemstra,State Secretary of Security and Justice Fred Teeven listened to their concerns regarding to security and justice matters. Matters brought forward relate to recently introduced immigration administrative fees, the detention capacity, drugs, customs and the progress of the general police ordinance.
The points brought forward by Saba were similar to those of St. Eustatius. The State Secretary earlier this week discussed with St. Eustatius a preliminary plan to expand the detention capacity around the Police Station on St. Eustatius, where detainees will be able to sit out sentences of a maximum of 6 months. Teeven is of the opinion that if this plan is realized it could help resolve a great part of the challenges for the various chain partners involved in security and justice on both islands. “In March this year a meeting will be held to further elaborate this point. I will see to it that the Executive Councils of Saba and St. Eustatius are invited to sit around the table”. says Teeven. He was also pleased to learn from the island government that the regular service of civil notary is once again a reality on Saba.
Teeven and a delegation of employees of the Ministry of Security and Justice are visiting the Caribbean Netherlands this week. The State Secretary has met with justice officials on St. Maarten on Monday and will do the same on Curacao on Wednesday before continuing on to Bonaire. “I am thankful to the stakeholders on Saba for the open and frank discussions and their preparedness to work together to find solutions to some of the challenges they face. Having responsibility for matters pertaining security and justice on the island I will do my utmost to deliver some tangible results on the short term”, said Teeven. The program included furthermore an early morning hike to Mount Scenery and an island tour.