The Executive Council has approved an initial testing phase for a camera surveillance project for St. Maarten.
This follows proposals made by St. Maarten’s Governor, Franklyn Richards.
The governor had done so in his capacity of Local Chief of Police, which among others entails his responsibility for law and order as well as safety and security in St. Maarten.
Zenitel Caribbean N.V. has offered to carry out the experiment for a three-month period with surveillance of the Fronststreet and Board walk areas.
The project is deemed essential to compliment ongoing crime fighting efforts and is particularly welcomed in view of past serious crime incidents, including broad day-light armed robberies targeting jewelry stores.
Citizens and tourists are reminded to be always vigilant in response to doing everything possible to avoid crimes from taking place.
Additionally, it is recommendable that business establishments secure their places of business with their own surveillance cameras, security guards and other security mechanisms, in an effort at fighting crime as a community effort.
With the installation of cameras at public places, the introduction of surveillance techniques is aimed at crime fighting endeavors and to contribute to safety and security. As such, the Local Chief of is of the opinion that certain rights must be guaranteed for the citizen.
The preliminary testing phase of the project will therefore resort under the responsibility of the Local Chief of Police.
Recorded images will be viewed at the Philipsburg Police Station and may be stored for a period of 4 months, after which they may be destroyed.
Only the police and the public prosecutor’s office may have access to the recordings and areas where recordings are ongoing will be made known to the public, by means of signs.
This will ensure that citizens are aware that they are in an area where video surveillance is taking place.
It is additionally the intention to present the camera surveillance project to members of the island council, for ratification.
Once the island council has approved the measure, hopefully by January 1, 2009, the testing phase of the camera surveillance project will go into effect.
An evaluation is to take place following completion of the testing phase, so that authorities may begin with implementing a structural approach to placing cameras in certain parts of Philipsburg and other locations, where this is deemed desirable.
Eventual new proposals will at that time once again be shared with the Executive Council and the island council, for discussion.
The camera surveillance project is subsequently to be placed on public bid.
The Netherlands Antilles Minister of Justice, David Dick, has in the meantime voiced his support for the project.