SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--Partial funding for the long-overdue camera surveillance system starting in Philipsburg and branching out to the rest of the country can be raised easily through a nominal fee increase for all St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI) registrants, United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Tamara Leonard proposed in a letter to Parliament dated July 28 in light of the daring daylight robberies in Philipsburg.

   The letter, directed to Chairman of Parliament’s Justice Committee MP Johan Leonard, said Tamara envisioned a collaboration of the Chamber of Commerce, police, St. Maarten Telephone Group of Companies TelEm, private security companies and the Indian Merchants Association (IMA).

An increase of NAf. 25 to NAf. 50 of the fee charged annually to all chamber registrants should generate sufficient income to cover the cost of maintenance and staffing of the surveillance system.

“Since most of the stores in town are represented by the IMA, if the increase of the fees of the Chamber is prolonged or impossible they can introduce the idea to their constituents,” Tamara said.

The Police Force with cooperation from reputable security companies should lead the project, she said.

Security companies can “man each store and some to patrol streets, which makes it difficult for the bandits to target these stores. I think seeking out the one with the best system and equipment to best aid the police having a proper knowledge of the entire security surveillance subject will be a great asset to this project,” Tamara said.

The cameras alone are not the solution, she said. The solution also will require funding from other sources, including Government, and training and cooperation of necessary personnel.

On the execution of the project, she said, “TelEm has done the due diligence of securing a company inclusive of an execution plan and has made several presentations to Justice Ministry, COCI and as recent as this past January 2015 to Parliament. No sense to reinvent the wheel.”

Aside from her suggestion for the camera surveillance system, Tamara called on the committee chairman to convene a session with Justice Minister Dennis Richardson and the named stakeholders to MAP the way forward and to determine what laws, if any, need to be amended to hasten the project.

She pointed out in her letter, “Though I am not on this committee, I am at a point of disgust with these robberies and would like to be a part of the solution-seeking team.”

The letter outlining the framework for a solution for funding the camera project came just over a week before Police Officer Gamali Benjamin was shot on Front Street by a robber. He is hospitalised and was in critical condition up to press time.