Council sounds alarm over youth crime in Sint Maarten
PHILIPSBURG – Young people on Sint Maarten are increasingly committing serious crimes at an increasingly younger age. This is evident from the new annual report of the Law Enforcement Council on the state of law enforcement in 2024. The Council speaks of a structural hardening and rejuvenation of juvenile crime and warns that a repressive approach alone is insufficient. According to the Council, an integrated approach that goes beyond justice alone is necessary.The Council notes that young people are involved in a wide range of criminal offences, including violent incidents, robberies, sexual offences and drug trafficking. Many of these young people are insufficiently aware of the consequences of their actions. Victims of young offenders often experience not only material damage, but also serious physical and psychological consequences. https://stmaartennews.ai/full-road-closure-asphalt/
Society According to the Council, the causes are deeply rooted in society. Poverty, neglect, domestic violence, lack of education, and an unsafe living environment contribute to the increase in juvenile crime. Risks arise particularly in residential areas where parents are often absent and young people grow up on the streets.
The French part of the island, Saint Martin, also has similar problems. In 2024, the number of crimes involving minors there increased by almost twenty percent.A major bottleneck is the lack of suitable facilities. Inspections show that the youth rehabilitation centre Miss Lalie Center does not have the resources to adequately accommodate and guide young people. The care of underage girls is even completely absent. Facilities for behavioural scientists, education and day care are understaffed or absent.
The Council calls the focus on prevention and cooperation between ministries and agencies essential. Although there are plans, such as the HALT project and the ‘Integrated Youth Policy Plan 2020-2025’, the implementation is lagging behind. For example, the HALT project on Sint Maarten did not get off the ground in 2024, despite the fact that the start-up had already been prepared. The Council calls this a missed opportunity.InvestAccording to the Council, the government must invest more in youth policy, shelter and guidance. This investment must be accompanied by good governance of financing instruments such as the Crime Prevention Fund. Up until now, recommendations on this have been structurally ignored, which has resulted in applications being halted.Finally, the Council points out the importance of up-to-date data and analyses. Policy-making and financing can only be effective if they are based on reliable figures. The lack of sound youth statistics is now a structural problem, partly due to outdated registration systems.
SOURCE: Curacao.nu