I have taken note of the recent statements made mid-week by the Hon. Minister of Justice Roland Duncan with respect to crime where it is down. If this is indeed the case, I take this opportunity to commend the men and women in law enforcement for a job well done.
The UP parliamentary faction is very much interested in receiving the 2012 statistics on crime and other relevant information, and we will be requesting these and seeking information with respect to 2013 crime fighting initiatives by our law enforcement entities.
We will share this information with the public as transparency is very important and the public has the right to know.
We would like to know what the Police, Immigration & Naturalization Services, Customs, and Coast Guard to start with, are doing for 2013 to combat crime and keep our community safe throughout the year.
The UP parliamentary faction favours a proactive approach to fighting crime where prevention is the number one deterrent.
The UP faction has also taken note of a newspaper article on Friday in one of the daily papers where the story alleges information received from anonymous sources, that border control and security is a major concern at a port(s) of entry.
Border security is one of the main elements in keeping our Sint Maarten communities safe from outside criminal elements. Government already went through a process of offering a form of amnesty, granting legal status to thousands of undocumented persons two years ago.
The country cannot afford to go through a similar exercise again. We cannot allow once again persons to come in without being recorded in order to make sure that they leave when they are due to leave. We need to protect jobs and opportunities for our people and can no longer support feeding the rest of the world.
The former Federal Government of the Netherlands Antilles Ministry of Justice neglected the island territory for years when we formed part of that constellation. Today, it’s a different story; it’s our responsibility and the buck stops here with us!
Persons who come for legitimate work and are willing to contribute to the economy by paying their fair share, are willing to contribute to the positive development of our society are more than welcome, especially in the case where no local expertise can be found.
Another area of great concern to our community is the stealing of vehicles for parts. The UP parliamentary faction would like to know what measures are being taken to deal with this. We have been hearing about this for a long time and we need to know if any progress is being made. We hear that these vehicles are stripped and then the parts are shipped off island. How are they shipped out? Where are they being shipped too? Are our law enforcement authorities working with others from the destination countries where the parts are being sold?
Hon. Sylvia Meyers
United People’s (UP) Party Interim Faction Leader
Member of Parliament