Sint-Maarten – First illegal fire-arm turned in

October 15th 2014 is the official date starting the grace period of the “Stop, Drop and Go” campaign. “Stop, Drop and Go” is a joint campaign organized between the Sous-Prefect and justice department on the French Side and the Minister of Justice and Justice Department on the Dutch Side, allowing persons on the both sides of the who are in the possession of an illegal fire-arm to surrender it.

The grace period will end on October 31st 2014, after which many raids and intense controls to locate these illegal weapons will start. Those persons wanting to surrender their illegal weapon can do so daily from 08.30 a.m. to 04.30 p.m. at the Gendarmerie in Concordia Marigot and French Quarter and at the office of the Attorney General on the third floor of the Puerta de Sol Plaza on the Welfare road. After this campaign has ended and someone is caught and arrested in the possession of an illegal fire-arm, they will be prosecuted and higher punishment will be demanded by the prosecutors.

On October 15th the first illegal fire-arm was surrendered at the Philipsburg Police Station by the well-known Glen Carty, the managing director of UTS, who was in possession of this weapon since the early nineteen nineties, while working with the Sint Maarten Sea Rescue Foundation. Not having any use for this weapon anymore Mister Carty surrendered this weapon and some ammunition to the Chief Public Prosecutor Mrs. Karola van Nie in the presence of the Chief of Police Peter de Witte, Acting Secretary General of Justice Udo Aaron, Inspector Rudolph Bloeiman and CPO-Inspector Felix Richards.

The public is advised to make use of this opportunity to get rid of any illegal fire-arms they may have.