Tim

This article is from the SXM Daily Herald, www.thedailyherald.com. <BR> <BR>Criminal intelligence fails, <BR>reported dismal in St. Maarten <BR> <BR>WILLEMSTAD--Besides concluding that 53 police officers should either be fired or disciplined, the authors of the Police Integrity Report found that the Criminal Intelligence Service (CID) does not function. The authors of the report, the Wiel Commission, speak of a lame duck unit due to a lack of personnel, of high tech equipment and of acceptance by the general police corps. <BR> <BR>Within that overall negative situation, St. Maarten offers an even more dismal picture, according to the report. Not only is the CID here also underdeveloped, cooperation between the CID officer, Public Prosecutor Maarten Witteveen, and the Wiel Commission turned out to be a total disaster. <BR> <BR>The way the CID on St. Maarten functions is called by the Commission "questionable and dubious." <BR> <BR>The commission is reportedly so vexed about Witteveen's uncooperative attitude that an investigation is recommended. <BR> <BR>In general the Commission noted that the CIDs are the most neglected desks in the police force. <BR> <BR>Understaffed, the units lack automated information technology as well as proper tapping facilities. <BR> <BR>Warnings that the service's data bank in Curacao was not environment-safe were ignored. The entire data bank was lost last year, virtually paralyzing the service. <BR> <BR>The chronic lack of manpower implies that much work cannot be started, let alone completed. Information, often known to the public, cannot be processed, which in turn undermines the image of the force. <BR> <BR>Against that overall backdrop St. Maarten's CID is a case apart, the Commission notes. <BR> <BR>It notes that a meeting with CID officer Witteveen was "unfruitful." <BR> <BR>Witteveen, according to the Wiel Commission, was uncooperative and argued reportedly that investigating the force was not part of his job. <BR> <BR>He insisted that the service is heavily understaffed and that to do any investigation assistance would have to be provided by Curacao. <BR> <BR>Even when the Commission read him their charter, Witteveen provided them with little information. <BR> <BR>The Public Prosecutor, moreover, contended that there was no communication between himself as CID officer and the CID chief, a statement that was denied by the local CID chief. <BR> <BR>

Pete

A more recent article says that SIX St. Martin police officers "are without doubt involved in hardcore criminal activities and have links with the drugs world." <BR> <BR>No wonder crime is so bad. The cops are criminals too.

Chas

Pete; <BR> <BR>My you are a busy boy. There are a few more boards that you missed. Need their addresses?

Barbara

yes, they they have idenitfied 6 police officers on ST Maarten who they think are involved with drug dealing. SIX! not the whole police force. and show me a police force in the world that does not have corruption in its ranks <BR>as far as "hard core" criminal activities, that was never mentioned. <BR>the original article speaks more to the communication and political problems between St. maartena and Curacao than it does to police corruption. <BR>

Pete

Barbara -- here's the link to the article that talks about "hardcore criminal activity." Sounds like more than a little drug dealing. <BR> <BR>http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/d...50/wiel50.html <BR> <BR>Chas -- no thanks. This is the most browsed board by "non regulars." Myopic butt buddy morons on the other boards can't face the truth, so why bother?

Chas

Pete: <BR> <BR>Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! <BR> <BR>"Butt buddy morons". I cannot picture a single adult using that terminology, your true colors are showing. <BR> <BR>What do you think casual reader? Truely interested adult, or malicious teenager?

pamr

Tim, Jim, John, Pete - whatever alias/personality you are going by today: three words: Take your medication!!!

Pete

Chas, <BR> <BR>Once again you're showing your age. There's probably quite a bit of descriptive language that people use that you've never heard before. To be honest, I don't expect much linguistic diversity from someone who lives in New Hampshire, so I'll cut you some slack. <BR> <BR>"Butt buddy" refers to two or more individuals (usually white, middle-aged) who talk as one and continually attempt to impress one another with their wit, all the while embarrassing themselves to outsiders. This sums up the "regulars" who left the open forum TT board for the censored board. As far as I can tell, the term originated from a skit in which the two "butt buddies" engaged in dialogue such as "Isn't my butt cute?" "Why yes, it is, isn't MY butt cute?" "Well it certainly is. How about his butt?" "Cute." "Thanks." "No Thank you." Sound familiar? <BR> <BR>(In case you're wondering, the skit was a part of the Humana Festival of Plays.) <BR> <BR>"Moron" is self-explanatory, but now that I think about it, it's a bit redundant. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. Try to use the term in a sentence today. If nothing else, you'll impress your grandchildren. <BR> <BR>Pete <BR>