Philipsburg:--- Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte who is currently off island attending the 80th Session of Interpol in Hanoi, Vietnam announced that the St. Maarten Police Force is now a member of the Interpol."We can proudly announce that on Monday after the presentation of Mr. de Witte at the General Assembly, which was a very important moment at this conference, the country of Sint Maarten was unanimously accepted as an independent member of Interpol, by the other 188 country-members, making Sint Maarten the 189th member."
De Witte said the acceptance to Interpol is a great achievement for country Sint Maarten in its relentless battle against crime. An Interpol Office on Sint Maarten definitely means international communication with all other country-members regarding many criminal issues, such as identifying of escaped convicts and suspects, the expertise in large scale investigations, carrying out international search warrants and the access to the database of the other country-members, concerning issues such as stolen motor vehicles and false documents.
Becoming a member of Interpol gives Sint Maarten an edge in being able to intercept criminals before entering this country, creating a safer environment for the community and tourists who visit our island.
As they say: "Security begins at our borders," De Witte said.
