Philipsburg:--- A draft document which was leaked to immigration officers is what caused the immigration and police officers along with their unions to demonstrate in front of the Government Administration Building on Tuesday said Minister of Justice Roland Duncan as well as the President of the WICSU William Reed and NAPB member Etheckooldus Josepha.On Wednesday, Minister of Justice Roland Duncan and Deputy Prime Minister Theodore Heyliger along with Members of Parliament Johan Janchi Leonard and Patrick Illidge met with the unions to discuss their concerns on the splitting of immigration (Border Control) from the Police Department.
Windward Island Civil Servant Union (WICSU) President William Reed said because of the document that was sent or leaked to the immigration officers at the Princess Juliana International Airport the officers became concerned causing Tuesday's action. Reed said it was made clear to them that the Justice Minister will not be splitting the immigration from the police on October 1 2011 as perceived. The Minister said he has manager who is busy interviewing people and this person discussed the draft document which was leaked it to the immigration officers. "This person conducted interviews to see what the immigration department would need from which she produced a draft document which still has to be discussed," Duncan said.
Minister of Justice Roland Duncan told reporters that he discussed with the unions on at least four occasions and he already told them that he was thinking of dividing immigration from the police but at no time did he make a final decision. Minister Duncan further explained that the former Minister of Justice Magali Jacoba is no longer on St. Maarten and the police and immigration should understand that if changes are made it will not hamper their jobs.
The Minister expressed frustration at the police officers who left their jobs on Tuesday to participate in a demonstration while crime is rampant on St. Maarten. The Minister said the officers should have been patrolling the streets, someone he said got shot and killed the night before while another person was shot Tuesday night. "I have sent out warning letters to those police who abandoned their jobs on Tuesday to demonstrate here because I still need to know what police has to do with immigration." The Minister said he asked the unions to give him some time so that he can crystallize his plans. He said at the moment he has a number of disorganized ideas that need to be put into fruition.
Minister Duncan said he met the police management team on Monday and there is a follow up meeting planned for Thursday where he is discussing several matters. The Minister said the crux of his discussion regards the plans of action since they have a number of written documents in place and he wants to know if these plans are properly implemented. The Minister said while written plans are nice on paper it is not always practical and he is of the opinion that if change has to be made then he is prepared to make those changes while most people just don't like changes. "People sometimes argue and even clamp up when they hear about changes. I have told the unions that there are going to be maneuvers. These people said they have a problem with me, but they chose not to demonstrate at my office, they wrote letters and even sent it to the Governor and met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Parliamentarians were even involved." Minister Duncan said if the unions, police and immigration officers wanted to discuss or talk to him they know exactly where to find him.Duncan said if the unions and their members want to talk to him they can even call him on Sunday nights but they should not be pulling any power play on him by demonstrating and disrupting immigration work at the Princess Juliana International Airport. The Minister said the unions should have their members exercise patience until he can come with serious concrete plans for discussions. Minister Duncan went as far as saying that if he is the problem and the union or police wants to get rid of him they can do just that since he has already reached his pensionable age. "If getting rid of me will solve their problem they should let me know but I don't know if that will solve St. Maarten's problem," Duncan said.
When asked about sticking to the agreements made before 10/10/10, the Minister said the persons who wrote those plans are no longer here and he is the one who is responsible for executing them. "What the union is telling me is that I should blindly follow something and I should not scrutinize or question it because they don't to want to change it. The Bible has been changed a number of times so what is wrong with changing a plan of action?" Minister Duncan said he found plans for the prison that means nothing and he wants to know if he should leave it the way it is. He also asked what disadvantage changing these plans would have towards the unions. He said he finds support for the changes he wants to make in the plan of action.
