It was reassuring to hear from Dutch State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops in Saturday’s paper that things looked a little better at the Pointe Blanche prison during his recent visit. He said the walls have been repaired and other measures were taken to enhance security for both guards and detainees.
Apparently enough was done to allow the planned withdrawal of additional penitentiary personnel who came from the Netherlands to assist following the catastrophic passage of Hurricane Irma.
There is some concern within the community, because about 50 inmates with long sentences temporarily transferred to Curaçao and the Netherlands are due back shortly. Knops said it was up to justice authorities to decide whether these convicts shouldn’t be kept elsewhere a bit more, but this also costs a lot of money.
In any case, preparations were being made for their return, he added. Hopefully these will prove adequate and public safety isn’t compromised as a result.
But while letting the prison officials sent over post-Irma leave may have been responsible at this time, it seems clear that St. Maarten police can still very much use the current input of two dozen Dutch colleagues. Thankfully, their stay that was to end by September 1 has been extended, although it’s not exactly clear for what period.
It would be good to continue that presence at least the rest of the year and preferably for the entire tourist season until after Carnival. With the local tourism economy slowly recovering, guaranteeing the wellbeing of visitors as best possible is obviously paramount.
While there is undoubtedly some friction between politicians in The Hague and Philipsburg, it’s important to note that help on the ground provided by law enforcement but also military from the Netherlands is widely appreciated.
