PHILIPSBURG:--- MP Darryl York’s criticism of justice funding drew an acknowledgment from Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling during Parliament’s debate on crime: the country needs to discuss how to raise more revenue.
York accused the Council of Ministers and Parliament of repeatedly approving budgets that leave police and other justice services short of the money they need, then asking later why those services cannot solve the problems. He called it a “laugh-now, cry-later” approach.
The MP pointed to the condition of the police station, questioned how police vehicles are maintained, and asked what the working conditions say about young people considering a career in law enforcement. He said officers are doing what they can, but cannot be expected to deliver more without adequate resources.
York said his faction had sought a meeting on revenue generation for roughly a year and a half. When MP Sjamira Roseburg noted that parliamentarians can amend budgets, York replied that amendments alone cannot create new revenue. He also claimed that recently passed 2026 budget amendments were absent from the proposed 2027 budget. The budget documents were not provided with the parliamentary transcripts, so that claim remains York’s assertion.
The exchange continued when Tackling called for a wider discussion about the social conditions behind crime. York interrupted, saying government and Parliament must examine their own responsibilities as well. Families struggling at home need support, he argued, and that support costs money.
“I’m tired of the buts,” York said, rejecting another cycle of proposals followed by explanations that there are too few funds or staff.
Tackling agreed that revenue needs attention. She said there is not enough money to meet every ministry’s requests and acknowledged York’s broader point about the choices made in the Council of Ministers. York, in turn, urged ministers to examine the priorities in the budgets they send to Parliament.
The minister also clarified a question York had asked about recruitment. He wants the government to reach Sint Maarteners living abroad, particularly in the Netherlands, who might return to join the police force. Tackling said vacancies could be circulated more broadly through channels that reach the diaspora, and acknowledged that the government does not publicize them widely enough.
For York, the test is what happens after the debate: whether the requested revenue discussion takes place and whether future budgets provide for the justice services Parliament says it expects.
