SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Sint Maarten Library is proud to announce its partnership with the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset in support of their Community Book Drive, an initiative aimed at restocking six Free Little Libraries throughout the community. This effort is part of the broader SXM DOET volunteer campaign scheduled for May 16–17, 2025.

In alignment with its mission to foster literacy, lifelong learning, and community engagement, the Sint Maarten Library will donate a selection of used books, including children’s, adult, and multilingual titles. These contributions will support the Sint Maarten Library and Rotary Club’s ongoing commitment to accessible reading materials and the development of a reading culture on the island.

A symbolic book handover and photo opportunity took place at the Sint Maarten Library on Friday, May 16, 2025, with representatives from both organizations present to cover this collaborative milestone.

General Manager of the Sint Maarten Library, Mr. Marc Marshall, expressed his appreciation for the initiative: "The library is honored to support this meaningful effort by the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset. Encouraging reading and ensuring access to books in all neighborhoods is vital for the growth and development of our community."

In addition, representatives of the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset, President Franklyn Salomons and Mr. Billy Jean-Baptiste, shared their thoughts on the partnership: ‘This collaboration exemplifies the power of community engagement. We are deeply grateful to the Sint Maarten Library for supporting our mission to expand access to books and promote literacy across our island.’’

This partnership reflects a united commitment to advancing literacy and education across Sint Maarten, underscoring a shared vision of building a stronger, more informed, and empowered community. At the heart of this initiative is the Sint Maarten Library, whose longstanding dedication to promoting literacy, education, and cultural awareness continues to shape and support the intellectual growth of the island. Through a wide range of inclusive programs and resources for all age groups, the library remains a cornerstone in fostering lifelong learning and enriching the lives of community members.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Ministry (VROMI), in partnership with the World Bank and the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), officially launched a two-day sanitation workshop focused on enhancing the Sint Maarten Wastewater Management Project (SWMP), a transformative initiative to initiate the modernization of the island’s wastewater infrastructure towards safeguarding its marine environment and the overall health and quality of life of the people.

The Minister of VROMI, Honorable Patrice Gumbs, opened the session with a strong call to action: “We meet at the interface of sanitation and the sea,” the Minister said. “When wastewater is safely managed, both public health and our blue economy flourish; when it is not, both are threatened.”

The workshop brings together a range of stakeholders, including local NGOs, community leaders, technical experts, and representatives from key ministries, the Wold Bank and the NRPB, united by a shared mission to deliver sustainable sanitation solutions and build climate-resilient infrastructure.

The SWMP will contribute directly to the Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, and represents a concrete step toward implementing global commitments at the local level. The project secured US $25 million in financing last September, combining a $10 million grant from the Sint Maarten Recovery and Resilience Trust Fund and $15 million from the Government of Sint Maarten.

Progress is already underway:

• A water quality baseline assessment is underway.
• The design-and-supervision consortium for the wastewater treatment plant and sewerage network expansion is contracted. This group will also carry out the technical, social and environmental assessments needed to ensure a robust and sustainable solution can be tailored for the central part of St. Maarten.

Still, the Minister acknowledged the challenges ahead, including supply chain volatility, high bid costs, and the complexities of connecting individual households to the upgraded sewer network.

“Let’s be practical,” the Minister urged. “Flattening protocols and limiting bureaucracy is key. Our ability to be agile and efficient will determine how far we go.”

The workshop is guided by four core principles:

• ⁠Inclusivity – every household matters.
• Climate resilience – infrastructure must withstand future shocks.
• Evidence-based action – guided by science and field data.
• ⁠Collaboration – breaking down silos across sectors.

In closing, the Minister shared a hopeful vision for the island’s future:

“Picture a child diving off the jetty at Great Bay in 2030, clear goggles, clearer water. That future is the dividend of the choices we make in this very room.”

VROMI reaffirms its full commitment to leading this effort, supported by a dedicated team of wastewater experts.

SABA/SINT EUSTATIUS - Today, Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Council for Law Enforcement publishes the State of Law Enforcement Caribbean Netherlands 2024. In the report, the Council expresses its appreciation for the efforts of judicial chain partners and the progress that has been made at various organisations individually and in their cooperation.

In doing so, the Council pays specific attention to the positive developments at the Dutch Probation Service. The Council is also enthusiastic about what the Board of Chiefs of Police has achieved in the cooperation between the police forces of the countries. However, the Council warns of the growing influence of social developments in combination with structural bottlenecks that put pressure on the future of the rule of law on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

In particular, the report points to serious capacity shortages in the police, as a result of which even the availability of emergency aid cannot always be guaranteed. The capacity of other organizations is also under pressure. In addition, the Council again points to the lack of integrated management and inadequate interministerial cooperation.

Although the Council notes that cooperation between chain partners at the local level is improving, the direction from the European Netherlands remains fragmented. Various ministries and their departments pursue policy without sufficient mutual coordination or central vision.

This hinders a coherent and decisive approach to complex problems such as subversion and juvenile delinquency.

Emergency aid under pressure due to police staff shortages

One of the most urgent signals concerns the situation at the police. The Council notes that the Dutch Caribbean Police Force is struggling with serious staff shortages. This leads to a situation in which the deployment of basic emergency aid – a core task of the police – is no longer structurally guaranteed.

Without structural reinforcement, the operational commitment threatens to be further eroded on the one hand. On the other hand, this situation also creates risks for staff. In other parts of the security chain, such as border control and the detention system, the performance of tasks is also increasingly at stake.

Call for cross-domain cooperation and future-oriented policy

The Council states that the approach to crime and security problems should not only be sought within the judicial domain. Many of the underlying causes are social in nature, such as poverty, educational disadvantage, addiction problems and limited housing.

This requires close involvement of ministries such as Education, Health, Social Affairs and Home Affairs. Sustainable solutions can only be achieved through cross-domain cooperation and shared ownership.

The report therefore calls on the central government to come up with a central, overarching management structure. Policy efforts from different ministries must be integrated into a single long-term vision with clear responsibilities, stable funding and structural strengthening of the implementing organisations.

Conclusion

The State of Law Enforcement Caribbean Netherlands 2024 shows a judicial chain in motion, but also in fragile balance. The consequences of immigration, increased tourism, inadequate infrastructure, inadequate social services and insufficiently equipped organisations in the judicial chain pose a major and undeniable risk to the stability and security of the islands.

Without fundamental choices in the field of strengthening capacity, continuing assistance from the national police and the KMar and improving management and cooperation, structural improvements will not be made. The Council emphasizes the importance of a coherent policy, shared leadership and sustainable investment in a resilient Caribbean rule of law.

The report has been presented to the Senate and House of Representatives, the Ministers of Justice and Security and of Asylum and Migration and is available in its entirety via the website of the Council for Law Enforcement: www.raadrh.com

On the site you can also find the State of Law Enforcement Sint Maarten and Curaçao respectively.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - On Tuesday, May 14, 2025, shortly after midday, detectives from the Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM) arrested a suspect believed to be involved in one of several ongoing shooting investigations currently being conducted by the Detective Department.

Following the arrest, a house search was executed at the suspect’s residence. During the search, a firearm and several rounds of ammunition were discovered and subsequently confiscated.

Given the sensitive nature of these investigations, no further information will be released at this time.

KPSM remains committed to ensuring public safety and will continue to pursue all leads in these ongoing cases.