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Buncamper-Molanus demands update on Soualiga Team delay
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Mar 8, 2006 15:07 UTC
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PHILIPSBURG - Member of Parliament Maria Buncamper-Molanus has written a letter to Chairman of the Executive Council Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards, demanding an update on the “Soualiga Team,” based on recent criminal activities on the Great Bay beach promenade in Philipsburg, which she said were “reason to be extremely concerned.”
In her letter dated Friday, March 3, Buncamper-Molanus said, “While law enforcement seems to turn a blind eye to robberies, pickpockets and the like that prey on our tourists and citizens alike, it is with great dismay that I have taken note of the crime wave having now spread to the Boulevard at Great Bay.”
The Executive Council of St. Maarten agreed last year to the formation of a special police group, the “Soualiga Team,” which was to consist of 20 new officers dressed as police, with the same responsibilities, assigned specifically to deal with crime in Philipsburg.
Although it was thought that after three months of classroom training the officers would be ready to take to the streets, where they would have started to work while being given hands-on training by February this year, Buncamper-Molanus noted with dissatisfaction that this had not occurred.
Sources said recruiting suitable candidates had proved difficult, as police try to conduct detailed background and psychological checks to avoid recruiting below-standard police officers. However, Police Chief Commissioner of the Windward Islands Derrick Holiday was unavailable for comment.
In her letter Buncamper-Molanus asked, “Can the Chairman of the Executive Council please inform me of the status of the ‘Soualiga Team?’ If there are problems, kindly state what these problems are.”
She also questioned whether the team was ready to work, and if not, “has the Executive Council been informed of any action to be taken by the police force in connection with the apparently increasing criminal activities in the popular tourist areas?”
She said that if the Chairman was not able to answer the questions she would take the matter directly to Holiday from whom she would request immediate action.
At least three cases of pocket-picking have been reported to police since Friday. However, police spokesman Inspector Johan “Janchi” Leonard said a plan had been put in place for detectives to patrol the area and seek out suspicious characters.
Leonard said the problem was recognised by the police force, which started additional patrols on Monday. While he could not guarantee that the patrols would be 24 hours, Leonard said the detectives had started from 9:00pm until 12:00 midnight on Monday and would continue this for some time.
Leonard also warned parents of male children, especially those 18 and under, that they should ensure that their children were home by 9:00pm, especially on school nights.
“We find that the children whom we catch committing these crimes are rather young and the parents are being warned that if they don’t take action to keep their children at home or find constructive pastimes for them, they will fall into the hands of the law,” said Leonard. “We have heard the cry of the people and we are not going to sit idly by and let the boardwalk or any area of this island be overrun by bandits.”
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