Philipsburg: --- The Police Department (KPSSS) has received a brand new tow truck, which was ordered some months ago. The vehicle is fully loaded and has a diesel engine. The police department now has one of the newest models of tow trucks which has a price tag of $85,000 paid for by USONA. According to reliable information, reaching SMN News the vehicle arrived on the island some two weeks ago and the dealer in Cole Bay (Harley Davidson) was paid half of the purchase price in advance while the balance was to be paid when the vehicle arrived. SMN News visited the dealership on Friday morning where we asked some questions pertaining to the purchase of the vehicle. We were told that the police received one of the keys when the vehicle arrived and arrangements were to be made for the final payment. We also requested information from USONA, which was not forthcoming.
However, a few hours later SMN News reporter was on hand to see when the writer of the police projects Chief Inspector Carl John brought the vehicle and parked it at the side of the Police Station in Philipsburg. It is not clear if the dealer was paid or if an arrangement was made now that SMN News began asking questions. This media house understands that the police management that is dealing with the financial aspect had the documents sitting in their office and did nothing to complete the purchase.
While it is, a known fact that all police forces would have their own tow trucks St. Maarten Police Force was without one for quite some years. According to our research, it was learnt that the police department purchased their first tow truck in 1972. The reasons behind the purchase back then were to clear the road from the obstruction of the vehicles, which were involved in a accidents. That was the main usage. After that, the KPSSS purchased another truck but apparently, management was not interested in helping out so they decide to use third parties to remove these vehicles. Those third parties are the former police officers who have since left the police force and are now operating their private business.
Earlier it was only two towing companies on the Dutch side they are HLS and another company that we know as Wally.
These companies were not used to tow away vehicles that were in violation with the traffic laws; this only happened when other police officers decided to leave the police force for one or more reasons and began operating towing services. Research showed that a former commissioner got his brother involved in the business and it was then these towing services began towing away vehicles that were in violation. This of course created a lot of apprehension since the police by then no longer had a tow truck to assist the community when they are in need. Persons whose vehicle are stolen or persons that were involved in an accident had to pay the towing services to remove their badly damaged vehicle. Something several persons in the community addressed to all legal heads but no one attended to the matter. Instead, the police has at least four towing companies that are working with them for the removal of vehicles that are in violation of the traffic rules. However, questions are still circulating as to when the police department is going to implement a policy on regulating towing services.
Several of these established towing companies has already began posing questions as to if the police department would be removing them from their list, or if they intend to leave people without a job now that they bought a new truck. Other questions that are surfacing is who would be driving this new tow truck since the police is grossly understaffed and where do they intend to park the vehicles they tow away.
Another question from several persons in society is when the island government would deal with the traffic ordinance, which has been placed on the back burner for a number of years now.
Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson in an invited comment made clear that the police did not purchase a tow truck to take away business from anyone. Henson said all police forces have tow trucks and St. Maarten is no different. He said it is hard for victims whose vehicle was stolen or badly damaged due an accident to pay towing services. Henson said on several occasions the police cars would break down and they need to have a truck to remove their own vehicles when necessary.
