Effective March 1st Norma Kerpens is the Community Officer on duty on Saba for the coming six months. This is a position she shares with Paula Klomp who has served in this capacity for the past six months. Kerpens, who first joined the Police Force on Aruba some 15 years ago, is excited about the task set before her as Community Officer on Saba. "I am easy to approach because I am a very open person and have a desire to work. I believe that a community needs the Police and the Police needs a community". states Kerpens.
With almost 15 years’ experience in police work Kerpens explained that she moved to Holland in 2002, where she once again had to attend the police academy. She was successful and in May 2003 was assigned to work in Almere nearby Amsterdam. Kerpens worked there until 2009 in several departments including the Detective Unit for one year. "There I worked mostly on youth cases as well as the domestic violence cases. Already in 2009 I started thinking about returning to the Caribbean to be close to my family".
In May 2009 she moved to Bonaire. At the end of 2010 Kerpens was promoted to Chief of the Intake Department which is charged with among other the reception, handling incoming calls and taking official reports. She also worked in the Dispatch Unit where she had the opportunity to replace the chief of this unit for a year. It was during this period (October 2010) she first visited Saba and fell in love with the people and the community.
In July 2013 the opportunity presented to work as Community Officer on Saba. Kerpens, together with Paula Klomp, applied for the position. I am here for the coming six months and intend to be of great service to the island and the community of Saba. Effective September this year both officers will continue to rotate in this function on a quarterly basis.
Kerpens is requesting residents to come to the Community Officer for things that require no emergency but which do need police attention. These may include disturbances mediation or problems in the relationship and/or domestic violence ". When it regards a problem in which the police cannot help the Community Officer will ensure that the person is brought into contact with the right network partner.
The community officer can be approached in the following ways; such as on the street, visits to the Police Station in Windwardside or by making an appointment. This can be done through the email address communitysaba@politiecn.com or phone number 416-3737 and by then asking for the community officer.