Lt Governor: ‘Police must work to
restore integrity, regain public trust’
PHILIPSBURG--Police officers in St. Maarten have a lot of work to do to restore their integrity and regain the trust of the public following a long trail of negative incidents in recent years that do not paint the force in the best light, Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards said Friday.
Speaking at the police’s Interim Coach Ronald Dongor’s swearing-in, Richards reminded the gathering that uniting the Police Force and shedding the bad image developed lately would be the responsibility of Dongor and Deputy Police Chief Commissioner Richard Panneflek.
Recent reports have accused police officers of being excessively violent in their dealing with residents and executing their duties, reportedly attacking and cursing people which started with Carnival at the end of April. Also, the arrests of top-level police officials in the past year have not helped to boost the force’s credibility or public image.
Ronald Dongor will be here for two years under the terms of a Win-Win Agreement that will allow him to assist and to support Panneflek and the police.
