THE HAGUE--The Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Thursday evening adopted a motion of André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party requesting that the Dutch Government prepare plans to improve St. Maarten’s Police Force and Point Blanche Prison.

 

A majority supported Bosman’s motion, including the VVD, the Socialist Party, GroenLinks, D66, ChristianUnion, SGP, Party for Animals and various other smaller parties, to prepare proposals to strengthen St. Maarten’s Police Force and the prison prior to the termination of the Plans of Approach later this year.

 

Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk had advised against the motion. He stated during a short debate on Wednesday that there already was a protocol to strengthen the St. Maarten Justice sector and that under this protocol the Dutch Government had committed to invest 22 million euros.

 

Wednesday’s plenary debate was a continuation of the meeting the Second Chamber’s Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations had with Plasterk on Tuesday to discuss the Plans of Approach for Curaçao and St. Maarten, a meeting that Bosman had requested.

 

Plasterk reiterated on Wednesday his view that he deemed it undesirable to prolong the Plans of Approach for the Police Force and prison by another two years. He reminded the Second Chamber that the Progress Committee for the Plans of Approach had concluded that the Plans of Approach were no longer effective and therefore to terminate them.

 

“The motion asks the Dutch Government to draft proposals to improve the functioning of the St. Maarten Police Force and the prison. I don’t think that this is wise,” said Plasterk during Wednesday’s debate.

 

He explained that it had been agreed with the local Government during his recent visit to St. Maarten earlier this month that during two consultations before and shortly after this summer, parties would strive to ensure that the Dutch support would fit within the endeavours of the local Police Force as much as possible, to achieve the “greatest possible effectiveness.”

 

“To me that seems a better approach than to prolong the Plans of Approach which have already been extended twice,” said Plasterk. He stressed that the Dutch Government would not simply contribute to the Police Force, but that The Hague would “absolutely” hang on to a separate control in the process of strengthening the Justice sector, independently of the St. Maarten Government.

 

Plasterk said it was “crucial” that the St. Maarten Government did not have any influence on the operations of the Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST. He said he did not share Bosman’s view that the Dutch Government was slipping up. He said the Dutch Government considered proper law enforcement in St. Maarten very important and was putting in personnel and finances to help make this happen.

 

Bosman was highly critical of the Minister’s stance. “We all agree, including the Progress Committee, that the police and prison are not complying. This minister is now saying ‘Yes, we accept that, let it go, it is now up to St. Maarten.’ So no plan, no improvement. I find it inconceivable that the Minister advises against my motion when we have established that the Police Force and prison are not complying.”

 

Plasterk agreed with Bosman that the goals set in the Plans of Approach, which were established when St. Maarten attained country status in October 2010, indeed had not been achieved.

 

“I share the opinion that this is very disappointing, but we also have to be practical. The Progress Committee, assigned by us to keep a keen eye on this, advised us that this path is no longer productive,” said Plasterk. He pointed out that the Dutch financial support for the Plans of Approach had ceased last year.

 

“It is now up to the St. Maarten Government to take full responsibility for its own police and prison,” he said on Wednesday. Bosman was doubtful that any real improvements would be realised without any clear-cut agreement following the termination of the Plans of Approach.

 

Immediately following the adoption of his motion on Thursday evening, Bosman requested a letter from the Dutch Government on how it intended to give follow-up to Parliament’s request to draft proposals before May this year to improve the functioning of the St. Maarten Police Force and the Point Blanche prison.

 

According to the motion, these proposals should contain “binding agreements and clear objectives.” The proposals have to be sent to the Dutch Parliament no later than mid-May for Parliament to have sufficient time to express itself on this matter.

 

The motion was co-signed by VVD members Joost Taverne, Remco Dijkstra and Ronald Vuijk.

 

The Daily Herald