St Maartens Crime Fund Unlocking Opportunities Through Policy and Partnerships
St. Martin’s Crime Fund: Unlocking Opportunities Through Policy and Partnerships
License Plate Visibility and Hit-and-Run Incidents: Minister Tackling Responds
Clarifying the Crime Fund’s Purpose
During her weekly press briefing, Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling responded to questions from the media regarding St. Martin’s underutilized Crime Fund. ILH Radio’s Jacqueline asked pointedly: Why hasn’t St. Martin funded any projects like Curaçao has? How do eligible institutions know about the Crime Fund, and what are the application procedures?
Crime Fund Unlocking Opportunities Through Policy and Partnerships
The Minister’s response was candid, insightful, and refreshingly transparent. She explained that, unlike Curaçao—which uses its Crime Fund to supplement Justice Ministry operations—St. Martin’s fund remains narrowly focused on crime prevention. Curaçao’s fund has a balance of 25 million guilders, while St. Martin’s remains underdeveloped and often dormant due to limited structure and outreach.
Eligibility and Application Process Still in Development
The Minister clarified that although the Crime Fund exists by ordinance, its operational framework is still taking shape. No official public policy guides its usage yet. There is also no formal committee or annual funding cycle to evaluate and approve proposals. These elements, she said, are currently being drafted as part of the country packages and legislative reforms.
Fund Unlocking Opportunities Through Policy and Partnerships
She added that eligibility requires that the project directly support crime prevention. The fund cannot be used for general social programs or administrative purposes. That said, Tackling has proactively reached out to organizations herself—especially those serving youth and schools—to encourage them to develop relevant projects.
St Maartens Crime Fund Unlocking Opportunities Through Policy and Partnerships
Examples include:
- The Ministry of Education for school-based initiatives
- Martial arts instructors offering structured afterschool programs
- The St. Martin Youth Brigade for community engagement
However, the absence of a centralized application process means that few, if any, institutions have applied simply because they are unaware or unsure how.
The Real Barrier: Capacity, Not Funding
Minister Tackling emphasized a larger, more systemic issue: a lack of internal capacity. The Ministry of Justice is stretched thin, handling daily operations with little room for policy design or grant management. There’s also no surplus of implementation specialists to oversee funded projects.
She noted that this isn’t unique to St. Martin. Even across the Kingdom, funds often go unspent not due to a lack of money but due to a shortage of staff who can write detailed plans of approach or carry out projects effectively.
To fix this, Tackling has begun strategic discussions with Aruba, Curaçao, and the Netherlands to secure technical assistance. The goal is to bring in policy advisors and experts who can help the Ministry create the structures needed to activate the Crime Fund fully.
Looking Ahead: A Policy Blueprint Is on the Horizon
In her closing remarks, Tackling made it clear that while there’s no quick fix, progress is underway. She aims to establish a broad-based, transparent policy that outlines:
- How much funding is available yearly
- How institutions can apply
- What types of projects qualify
- What minimum and maximum amounts can be granted
In a system still in transition, this initiative offers hope. With policy reform and technical support, the Crime Fund could soon become a lifeline for youth programs and crime prevention initiatives that have been waiting too long on the sidelines.