ROTTERDAM--Members of the Dutch National Police are holding a fundraiser in support of the family of St. Maarten police officer Gamali “Benji” Kwasi Benjamin, who was shot and killed in the line of duty while responding to the Oro Diamante robbery in Front Street on August 5.

 

The fundraiser in the Netherlands is organised by some 32 officers and advisors who have worked and cooperated with the Police Force of St. Maarten between 2011 and mid-2015.

 

“Over the years we have established close relationships with our colleagues in St. Maarten and are committed to them in good and bad times. We wanted to do something special for a colleague who passed away,” spokesperson Bert Kremer explained.

 

The National Police was formed on January 1, 2013, after a merger of the former 26 regional police forces with the National Police Services Force KLPD. A number of officers of the National Police were and are deployed by the Ministry of Security and Justice with the Police Force of St. Maarten.

 

Among them were five advisors, who prior to 2011 provided assistance in the areas of community police, detectives, forensic investigations, logistics, judicial and personnel affairs. Some 20 other police officers were deployed with the detective department and general service, during which time they worked together with local police officers for three years.

 

“A number of us have worked closely together with the Bike Team and knew Benjamin very well, but others also knew Benjamin to some extent. St. Maarten does not have such a large police force and, therefore, you meet each other quite often. Everybody in our group is deeply shocked to hear of Benjamin’s death. From the moment we’ve heard that a St. Maarten policeman was shot our group kept in touch via social media to discuss the developments. At a certain moment, the idea was launched to raise funds for notices in the newspapers and for funeral flower arrangements,” Kremer said.

 

The initiative was well-received and it was quickly decided to deposit the remaining money into a fund for Benjamin’s next of kin.

Employees of the Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST and other workers in the judiciary in St. Maarten have in the meantime also launched a fundraiser, according to Kremer.

 

The officers in the Netherlands want to get the entire National Police, with more than 50,000 employees, involved with the fundraiser. “If every colleague would make a one-euro donation we would receive a nice contribution to the fund,” Kremer stated.

 

Up to this weekend almost 900 euros were collected, said Kremer, who added that the national fundraiser has not yet fully started. “Many colleagues are still enjoying their summer holidays and not everybody is reading Intranet messages. Hopefully, we can place a notice this coming week in which we alert all our colleagues about the fundraiser and, hopefully, many of them will make a donation.”

 

In consultation with St. Maarten Police Force’s leadership, the initiators of the fundraiser are planning to handover the funds to Benjamin’s wife Karena Benjamin-Rodrigues and son Keenan Benjamin by late September.

 

“We have experienced first-hand how our colleagues have to respond to everything that’s happening on the island with limited means and with much commitment. In size and population St. Maarten is comparable with a large village in the Netherlands, but with big city problems. In the past years, we have come to respect these people. The Police Force of St. Maarten got a place in our hearts, similar to St. Maarten, the “Friendly Island” itself, because that’s how I have experienced it during the years I had the privilege of working in St. Maarten,” Kremer said in explaining his and his Dutch colleagues’ commitment to St. Maarten and its inhabitants.

 

The Dailt Herald