Over the last week the Police / Detective Department personnel have been busy investigating three separate shooting incidents involving unidentified gunmen who shot at several individuals. Two of these incidents took place on Bush road and a third in the area of the Belvedere.
However, throughout these incidents, up to now no one was injured.
Anyone with information with about these shootings should contact detectives via + 1 721 542 2222 ext.106,or 175 , the anonymous tip line 9300, send a private message via Facebook Page: Police Force of Sint Maarten – Korps Politie Sint Maarten or website www.policesxm.sx.
Suspect arrested for drug smuggling by the ALPHA team
On May 11, 2022, the Alpha Team, in connection with an ongoing investigation, arrested a male with the initials C.L. B. (51) for being involved with a drug smuggling offense.
Said incident for which the suspect was arrested took place on May 09, 2022, at the A.C, Whatey Cruise facility. Subsequently, a search was carried out at the suspect’s dwelling during which relevant items were confiscated in the interest of further investigation. This suspect is being detained at the police station in Philipsburg in connection with the ongoing investigation The Alpha Team is a jointly multidisciplinary Team that is comprised of the Police Department KPSM, the Customs Department, the Immigration Department, the Koninklijke Marechaussee and the Coast Guard.
SUR investigating several armed robberies
The detectives of the Special Unite Robberies (S.U.R.) have been kept busy investigating a several robberies that have been reported over the past couple of weeks.
Seeing the uptick, the police of St. Maarten finds it imperative to educate the public as well as the business owners in an effort to minimize the risk of being targeted by these criminals. The best way to “deal with” with armed robberies is to prevent them. An appeal goes out to the owner of the small supermarkets to take precautionary measures to protect themselves by not storing large amounts cash in the establishment. Understand that robbers commit crimes because they believe that the payoff outweighs any risk.
Robberies usually take place when there’s a lack of planning for emergency situations and when poor cash handling is involved. Without the right security measures, many businesses unknowingly make criminal situations convenient for robbers. The police will continue to do our part and we will continue to ask the community to assist. Only by working as a unit can we stop the individuals who go into the community looking for an easy payout by committing a robbery. Prevention is always better than finding a cure.
To help you do that, the Sint Maarten Force Communication department has put together some tips that can help your business from becoming a victim of robbery and also how to deal with them in the event a robbery does occur.
Armed robberies usually happen during opening and closing times, as well as lunch breaks.
Why? “Opening and closing periods are particularly vulnerable times due to low staffing and large amounts of cash on hand. Lunch hours are primary times for the same reasons.”
Practice safe cash handling Robbers are after cash, so take the necessary cash handling precautions to minimize risk
and loss. Here are some of the ways to do that:
Avoid having unnecessary amounts of money in your register. Only keep the
amount you need to conduct normal business, and either put everything else in a
safe or transfer to the bank.
Improve visibility
Having a checkout area that’s highly visible can discourage robbers. That why it’s best to:
Avoid fixtures or signs that can obstruct views of and from the register.
Cover your blind spots using mirrors or cameras.
Invest in good lighting both inside and outside your stores.