Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Wednesday's Central Committee of Parliament session to discuss a comprehensive approach to achieve short-term results against the current spate of crime is certainly timely in light of recent events (see related stories). Within the past week alone two armed robbers were shot dead by money transport security guards of whom one also was injured, someone fired several bullets into the cashier's window of a casino and made off with cash, while a man was gunned down at a pool bar in Cay Hill.
According to reports from Curaçao, the latter is believed to have been a gang member there of the No Limit Soldiers (NLS) in Koraal Specht who also was said to have been detained, but later released, for the fatal shooting of Jean-No Sanon in Cole Bay on October 27, 2014. Whatever the reason, these types of apparently ruthless killings in the streets are the last thing the island and its tourism economy need, especially just a month after the slaying of Police Officer Benjamin in broad daylight right on Front Street with many cruise passengers present, by would-be jewellery robbers.
It would be easy to criticise the fact that tomorrow afternoon's meeting is being held behind closed doors, but considering the urgency of the matter it may actually be for the best this time. After all, the intention can't be to give "bad guys" too much information they can use to counter the steps being taken to enhance public safety.
What should not happen either is that the debate is influenced by the existing constitutional impasse, with a new NA-led majority in the legislature wanting to appoint a next government and the Gumbs cabinet of the former UP-led coalition calling for early elections instead. The challenges facing law enforcement regard each and every person on the island and under no circumstances should anybody even get it into their head to try to play cheap politics with this issue, because the voters surely would not appreciate that.
By the same token, people in general must show some understanding for to-be-expected inconvenience from additional control measures such as roadblocks. That is simply the price society will have to pay in dealing firmly with those who threaten its very existence.
