Pride Foundation lobbies for staff to
be certified as extraordinary police
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Pride Foundation has reminded Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus that several of the island’s environmental foundations have been lobbying for their staff members to be trained and certified as extraordinary police officers, based on the National Nature (Conservation) Ordinance and the soon-to-be-finalised Marine Park Ordinance.
The foundation’s reminder was sent to the commissioner in a letter in which she was commended for her efforts to improve the enforcement of and adherence to St. Maarten’s legislation by arranging for civil servants in several sectors to be trained as extraordinary/special agents of the police.
The National Nature (Conservation) Ordinance of the Netherlands Antilles, or the “landsverordening, grondslagen natuurbeheer en bescherming” as it is called in Dutch, regulates the protection of flora and fauna, the conservation of biodiversity, the management and conservation of habitats and ecosystems and the implementation of International Treaties.
The Ordinance also mandates the Executive Councils of the island territories of the Netherlands Antilles to appoint civil servants and/or other suitable persons as Special Agents of the Police (Buiten Gewoon Agent van Politie) to assist the local Police Forces with the enforcement of the National Nature Ordinance, the Local Nature Ordinance and other relevant environmental legislation.
Managers and staff members of nature conservation foundations in Saba and St. Eustatius participated in and completed the required four-week “Special Agents of the Police” course and were sworn in as such by the islands’ respective Lt. Governors in 2005. No member of any of St. Maarten’s environmental/ nature conservation foundations has any sort of law enforcement authority.
St. Maarten’s environmental foundations are managed by people with years of education, experience and training in conservation management and in resolving environmental challenges.
According to St. Maarten Pride Foundation, appointing them as special agents of police to support environmental law enforcement efforts could contribute to alleviating some of the pressures with which St. Maarten and the severely understaffed VROM department and relevant inspection departments are currently faced.
The foundation hopes that an arrangement can be made for the management and other suitable staff members of local environmental foundations to follow the relevant course and subsequently be sworn in as Special Agents of the Police with the specific purpose of supporting environmental law enforcement efforts.
