This message came to board of the N.A.P.B’s attention about a significant change in the organizational

November 6, 2023 – On Philipsburg, November 3rd 2023.
With this letter, the board of the N.A.P.B. during the course of yesterday, Friday 3rd November 2023,
received a very concerning message from its members.
This message came to board of the N.A.P.B’s attention about a significant change in the organizational
structure that affects the day to day operation of the Sint-Maarten Police Force in a detrimental
manner.
“Following a recent decision by the Minister of Justice, it has been ordered that the detention center,
at the Police station Philipsburg, will be officially transferred to the police with effect from November
11, 2023, specifically under the executive support department. This transfer means that we as a police
organization will bear full responsibility for the management and operations of the detention center.
It is essential that we make this transition smooth and efficient to ensure the safety and security we
provide to our community”.
The board of the N.A.P.B. would like to give a brief synopsis of the decision taken by Minister of Justice
regarding this issue. Before October 10th, 2010, the Police Force was indeed tasked with taking care of
persons that were apprehended for committing crimes. The legal amount of days that the apprehended
person could be detained for in a police cell was 10 days. In the event that the apprehended person’s
detention was extended by the acting judge, he or she would be transported to the Point Blanche
Prison.
The board of the N.A.P.B would like to promulgate that before 10-10-10, the Police Force had the
necessary resources and manpower in order to execute the abovementioned task . In 2011, the then
Minister of Justice, Roland Duncan, provided a compacted training course for persons aspiring to work in
the various departments in the Justice Ministry i.e. Prison, Police, Customs etc.
Upon completion of this course, these trained professionals would then be sent to work in the various
departments in the Justice Ministry. To this effect, a Police presence was seen and felt by the
Community of St. Maarten.
Currently, in 2023, the present Minister of Justice, has made this decision seemingly without any
forethought and the consequences thereafter. In addition, in March 2023, The Minister of Justice was
advised to do address certain issues. This has not been the case up until present i.e. the current issue of
overtime. Below are some observations that the Board of the N.A.P.B has taken:
1: The Minister of Justice has insufficient planning in her decision making.
2: The Minister of Justice does not have a vision qua moving forward in her decision making.
3: The Minister’s decision will have serious consequences to the security of Country St. Maarten.
Here are some reason why the decision taken by the Minister of Justice would have serious
consequences to the security of this country.
– The Police Force of Sint-Maarten is already SERIOUSLY understaffed. The Minister of Justice is
well aware of this fact.
– That task of being a Prison guard/Corrections Officer does not appear in Legal status of the
Police (Rechtspositie).
– The Police is currently NOT trained to deal with prisoners. Prison guards/Corrections Officers
receive a specialized training in dealing with prisoners/detainees. The health and well-being of
Prisoners/detainees are also an issue of concern.
– The detention center located above the Philipsburg Police Station is in dire need of renovation.
It is also unhygienic and would cause a serious health hazard to our members. We commend
those prison guards who carry out their duties on a daily basis in such deplorable conditions.
– A reasonable amount of Police Officers will be pulled off the street in order to perform the
duties of Prison Guard/ Corrections Officer
– The situation of the morning traffic during school hours will worsen.
– The controls of schools by the police will also be affected.
– The lives of the Police Officers on patrol will be placed in danger!
– The cries of the members stating that this is not in their job description nor their legal position.
– With all of this being said, the Police Force cannot guarantee the safety in Phillipsburg, let alone
country St. Maarten. Businesses in Phillipsburg and especially the boardwalk will suffer and
Police Presence will be diminished as a result of this decision. Please realize that we are entering
into the high season where country St. Maarten welcomes an influx of tourism. There is also the
Christmas season steadily approaching as well as elections subsequently .
The Board of N.A.P.B have received many questions and grievances from its members since having
received a very nice letter in their emails with respect to the process of the Budget amendment and
Retroactive payments. Albeit that this was a very well put together letter, there were no concrete
details as to the finalization of this process. In short, the members of N.A.P.B want their National
Decrees. The Minister of Justice has made mention MANY TIMES, also on the floor of Parliament, that
this whole issue regarding to the Legal status of the Police et al. would be resolved before elections.
They also want to know about the status of the insurance by NAGICO. There are concerns that the
insurance for the Police Officers by NAGICO has expired.
In closing, the board of the N.A.P.B. would highly appreciate that the Minister of Justice reconsider her
decision and focus on the abovementioned points. If we do not receive an answer by November 11th
2023, The board of the N.A.B.P. will have no choice but to stand behind whatever industrial action its
members decide to take.
Sincerely,
The board of the N.A.P.B. Sint-Maarten