PHILIPSBURG:--- Management of KPSM and Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson were presented with the keys of six new police vehicles on Friday. The six vehicles are the first of their kind for St. Maarten's Police Force, they are Ford Interceptors custom made for policing. The vehicles were ordered from Caribbean Auto by former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan while he was in office. Reporters were given a first-hand look at the vehicles that were parked in front of the Police Headquarters in Philipsburg prior to the official handing over ceremony. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson showed reporters multiple features that the vehicles have including the different sounds of sirens and the various lights that can be used to direct traffic when in certain situations. Henson said the police is especially pleased with how the back seat of the vehicles are made because prisoners and or suspects when arrested have limited space and could hardly move around to attack the officers transporting them. There is enormous space in the trunk section of the vehicles which Henson said is to transport tools and other items to crime scenes. Henson said the police intend to install cameras on the dashboard and radios inside the vehicle. The designs on the six vehicles were done by TRAXX designs in Cole Bay.
Dylan Smith, Marketing Manager of Caribbean Auto Sales thanked the former and current Ministers of Justice and the management of KPSM for placing their confidence in Caribbean Auto and Motorworld and giving them the opportunity to provide KPSM with six Ford Interceptors. Smith said the vehicles were ordered and built based on US police specifications. Smith said the process to obtain these vehicles stared way back in 2012, therefore he complimented the management of KPSM for planning and implementing the plans they have to further improve the police department on St. Maarten.
Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson said that acquiring these vehicles is indeed a major step for KPSM because when he was Lt. Governor of St. Maarten, the police had to buy used cars from the car rentals because they were unable to purchase new ones. Minister Richardson also thanked the former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan for the initiatives he took while he was in office. Minister Richardson said that Duncan was mostly in the news in a negative light but people need to be credited when they do good things also. Shortly after the speeches, the keys of the new vehicles were presented by Caribbean Auto Marketing Manager Dylan Smith to Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, who immediately handed over the keys to Chief of Police Peter de Witte. De Witte then handed over the keys to Commissioner Carl John who is responsible for the operations of KPSM.
Chief of Police Peter de Witte expressed gratitude to the Minister of Justice for providing KPSM with some top quality vehicles. De Witte said when he took over the helm of KPSM in 2010 the police force was in bad shape and they only had old cars. De Witte further stated that today KPSM has something to be proud of because it is indeed another step forward. De Witte said at one point the KPSM had to rent cars in order for them to conduct their jobs. "Without vehicles the police were not able to go everywhere on the island." He said with the six new vehicles he believes that the police now has one major tool to place them all over the island.
Commissioner Carl John told the small gathering that the process started when he went with others to visit the Miami Dade Police Department to seek training for the community police officers (CPO), he saw the Ford Interceptors since that school had just ordered the same type of vehicle for the entire police department. Commissioner John said when he learned of that information, one evening while in Miami he took the opportunity with another officer to sit with one of the instructors who showed them the project and what it took for the US Justice Department to order the Ford Interceptors. Commissioner John said when he returned to the island he discussed the idea with the police management team and the former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan who gave them the green light to proceed with ordering the vehicles for KPSM. John said that while speaking to the Chief of Police of Curacao earlier this week, he learned that Curacao will take the same direction as St. Maarten and they will be ordering 16 of the Ford Interceptors for their police force. John also informed the gathering that Curacao will send three persons to St. Maarten to get some training on how to use the highly technological vehicles. He said the six vehicles will be used for smart policing and they will not be used driving around the island idly. John said with that in mind they intend to make KPSM a five star police force.
Caribbean Auto also ordered and have in their possession two more of the vehicles for the Immigration Department but the process with IND is not yet completed.
At the end of the ceremony, CPO Felix Richards posed with a framed copy of the newspaper that nominated them as persons of the year for 2013. De Witte said it is indeed a proud moment for the Police because in 2012 some detectives were selected by SMN News as persons of year and last year another newspaper recognized the CPOs as their persons' of the year.
Click here to view more photos of the Ford Interceptors that were handed over to KPSM on Friday.
Minister Dennis Richardson presents keys to new Police Vehicles; Poster presented in connection with Community Police Officers as Persons of the Year 2013.
GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson on Friday presented the keys to six brand new fully outfitted Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles to Chief Commissioner of the Sint Maarten National Police Peter de Witte. The presentation took place in front of the Police Philipsburg Headquarters.
The vehicles were supplied by Motor World and were customized according to the specs of the Sint Maarten National Police by the manufacturer Ford Motor Company.
During the same ceremony, the country's Community Police Officers (CPOs) presented to the Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte in the presence of the Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson a poster of the front page of the Today daily newspaper which named the CPOs as Persons of the Year 2013, recognizing them for their work.