The four special enforcement officers were sworn in during a digital ceremony.
SABA--Four Saba residents took the oath and accepted their new task as special enforcement officers for the public entity Saba on Tuesday, July 26. They will be known as “BavPol enforcers.”
Bobby Zagers, Justin Yu and Thompson Thomas are employees of the public entity Saba while Marijn van der Laan works at Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF). They will join Alexandria Hassell and Randall Johnson on the BavPol team.
Caribbean Netherlands Police Force KPCN Chief Jose Rosales and KPCN education coordinator Lionel Vrutaal performed the swearing-in on behalf of Dutch Minister of Justice and Safety Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius.
The four new special enforcement officers took a two-week enforcement course, passed the exam and received the approval of the local tripartite meeting of the Island Governor, the KPCN and the Caribbean Netherlands Prosecutor’s Office.
Saba now has six active special enforcement officers. Special enforcement officers do not wear a weapon, but they can issue a warning and fine.
The BavPol enforcers will be clearly identifiable when working. They will either wear an official “handhaving” uniform or they will wear a formal public entity Saba or SCF-issued polo or shirt in combination with a BavPol ID card. The uniforms were provided by the municipality of Amsterdam and will allow the enforcers to be visible as enforcers in the Saba community.
Zagers said that as a special enforcement officer, he could act in the inspection of the technical integrity of building structures and whether people have a building permit.
Yu said that being a special enforcement officer will contribute to his work at the Fort Bay harbour to keep the premises cleaner and safer, and to see to proper docking management.
Thomas is already an enforcer at the public entity. As a special enforcement officer, he will focus on people adhering to the general local ordinance APV and the new traffic ordinance. He can act in cases of nuisance, violations in public space and parking issues.
Park ranger Van der Laan said being a special enforcement officer was important for his job in the marine park in enforcing the marine environmental laws. “This gives me more possibilities to act when people commit a violation such as anchoring in the marine park, damaging the corals or other marine life. We also keep an eye on invasive species,” he said.
The special enforcement officers who are now appointed for the public entity Saba have investigative authorities comparable to police officers. They can enforce on certain local or national ordinances that require administrative enforcement and on a number of criminal matters. For matters that are of a criminal nature, the Prosecutor’s Office will extend the fine, just as it does for the police.
The line between criminal law enforcement and administrative law enforcement in practice does not always have to be strict. The special enforcers can also collaborate with police officers and the Caribbean Netherlands Prosecutor’s Office in various situations.
An example is the enforcement of nature and environment laws and regulations, where the special enforcement officer from the marine park can issue a report to the Prosecutor’s Office of illegal activity such as anchoring in protected areas. In situations like that, the Prosecutor’s Office will then decide whether to further prosecute based on the reporting by the special enforcement officer.
Cooperation between police, Prosecutor’s Office and the public entity Saba is imperative in the enforcement of local administrative laws. These three organisations have their own duties and responsibilities and expertise in certain fields.
“The appointment of these four new special enforcers at the public entity Saba is most welcome. Having additional work capacity available for administrative law enforcement is another step in furthering our development on good governance as a local government body. Having the capacity to enforce the rules and regulations put in place by the Island and Executive Councils increases the legitimacy and reliability of our local government,” said Gerald Simmons, head of the public entity Saba’s safety and legal department.
