MP Roseburg suggests 10 practical steps to restore safety, assist Justice Ministry

GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Sjamira Roseburg on Sunday suggested ten practical steps to address what she describes as a serious and growing security challenge in St. Maarten, marked by rising violent crime, an overcrowded prison, and stretched police resources.

“This is not about blame, but about practical, solution-oriented steps. Crime is a societal issue, and all hands must be on deck: Ministers, Parliament, law enforcement, and the community at large must work together to find solutions. Therefore I have submitted suggestions in 2024 and also followed up in 2025. But sitting still ain’t an option and therefore These ten steps are based on my legal experience and are presented to assist the Ministry of Justice. They will also be formally submitted in writing,” MP Roseburg stated.

She emphasized that effective action cannot depend on who holds office at any given moment, and that real solutions demand a coordinated approach:

• Ministers must coordinate policy and resources
• Parliament must advocate and monitor implementation
• Law enforcement must execute operational measures
• Communities must actively participate in crime prevention

Under the banner “All Hands on Deck: Crime is a Collective Responsibility,” MP Roseburg outlined the following ten measures:

1. Activate Kingdom Support under Article 43
Article 43 of the Kingdom Charter allows the Kingdom to assist when public safety, governance, or legal certainty cannot be fully ensured locally. MP Roseburg proposes activating this mechanism so that St. Maarten can receive technical, operational, and strategic support.

2. Temporary Transfer of High-Risk Offenders
With Point Blanche Prison at full capacity, MP Roseburg calls for the temporary transfer of high-risk offenders to other Kingdom facilities until the new prison is completed. The legal basis for such transfers lies in Article 43 and the “Onderlinge Regeling,” which allow coordinated relocation of detainees.
She stresses that this measure is meant to protect communities, not to remove local responsibility, and that only high-risk offenders would be transferred.

3. Technical Assistance from the Netherlands
MP Roseburg proposes that Kingdom experts assist St. Maarten with:

• Investigations and intelligence
• Forensics and data analysis
• Crime mapping and hotspot monitoring
• Temporary operational support

4. Reinforce Local Police Capacity
In the short term, she recommends deployment of the Royal Military Police (KMar) to strengthen patrols, rapid response, and community engagement. The KMar would be deployed only in crisis situations and in support of local law enforcement.

5. Community-Focused Neighborhood Structures
MP Roseburg calls for formally recognized neighborhood watch programs and accountability mechanisms that empower communities to monitor safety, report crimes, and work alongside law enforcement. She notes that this can be done via the Crime Fund, referencing suggestions she already submitted in writing in 2024.

6. Crime Fund Projects and Holistic Approaches
The MP insists that the Crime Fund must be fully utilized, particularly in the 2026 budget, through a concrete project plan that implements:

• Community policing initiatives
• Youth engagement programs
• Neighborhood safety initiatives

These measures, she argues, are necessary to address root causes and sustainably reduce crime, and should start in 2026.

7. Enhanced Stop-and-Search and Cross-Border Cooperation
MP Roseburg proposes to:

• Expand stop-and-search powers in hotspot areas
• Strengthen coordination between the Dutch and French sides of the island, so offenders cannot exploit jurisdictional gaps

8. Electronic Monitoring and Temporary Sentence Adjustments
To manage prison capacity, she suggests that low-risk offenders may serve a temporarily reduced percentage of their sentence under strict electronic monitoring, including ankle bracelets and house arrest.
This system would be:

• Temporary and fully supervised
• Limited to low-risk offenders or offenders who, based on good behavior, are closest to fulfilling their sentence
• Prioritizing the detention of current offenders over those who committed crimes long ago or still have only a small part of their sentence left

MP Roseburg asks the community and decision makers to consider the core public safety question, stating: “When faced with difficult choices, we must ask ourselves: what protects the community most, detaining someone for a decade-old offense, or being able to safely detain those committing crimes now?”

9. Joint Crisis Task Force
She recommends establishing a coordinated crisis task force composed of St. Maarten authorities and Kingdom partners to oversee intelligence, operations, and resource deployment, and to ensure that efforts are aligned and efficient.

10. Maximize Existing Systems and Resources
While the new prison is being built, MP Roseburg stresses that St. Maarten must work creatively with current structures, including local police, Crime Fund projects, community networks, and Article 43 support. Immediate action is, in her view, essential.

MP Roseburg reiterated that crime and public safety affect the entire society of St. Maarten, not just one institution. Crime in St. Maarten is a societal issue, not the responsibility of one Minister, and she stresses that all hands must work together, Ministers, Parliament, law enforcement, and communities, to restore safety.

“These ten steps are practical, creative, and grounded in legal experience, designed to assist the Ministry, strengthen public safety, and provide actionable solutions,” she notes.

The ten-point plan will now be formally submitted in writing to the Ministry of Justice to guide immediate and medium-term implementation.

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