Crime is escalating on SXM and something must be done before it becomes like a prison for tourists and/or worse.......NO TOURISTS!! While there I experienced 3 crimes. That's just ME! I am so fond of SXM I want to DO something to help crime. The newbies will just spread the negative word and spend their tourist $$$$ on another Island. I don't want to see that happen to my beloved island!!

My French friend, who's lived in St.Martin for over 20 yrs. sent me this message, today. Perhaps you can read thru his meaning. The honest locals are extremely concerned about the escalation of crime, too. To make SXM safer, perhaps we should heed his suggestions.......I know I will!!

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" My Dear Contessa,

Well, you read my mind concerning the CRIME going on in St Martin and I had an idea for few weeks now but I didn't know if it could be done ?? I will try to explane it to you.
I know that crime will become a very big and bad issue for the tourism in St Martin and I see that the new SXM president Mr Louis Constant Fleming doesn't do anything for our only industry, "TOURISM", so somebody has to do something. this came up to my mind after reading all the chat on St Martin when I went to TTOL.
So I thought of getting in contact with all the St Martin's lovers through TTOL and other internet web site (you know them all) and ask them do a kind of
e-mail petition that would be sent to the tourism office and to Mr Louis Constant Fleming, but as you surely know those mails would not be notified to the public of course !! They are so scared to get a bad publicity those so clean politicians and so intelligent.
This is when I can help and make sure that those tourist requests would be known by the public by doing articles in the french news paper and dutch one to and going to the radios etc etc .. This, for sure, would make a difference and things to happen, because the politics will have to talk about it and prove that the security is their priority and push the gendarme to do more on this matter.
The gendarmerie is a pretty lazy intitution, the gendarmes come to St Martin to spend vacation and get a raise on they pay check and they get a special bonus (pretty big) for there 3 years that they spend in the "Club Med".
As I say before, if they didn't understand we will have to make them understand and do something, even if they are not willing, they will have to do it.
Do you understand my english expanation, let me know if it's a good idea and if it can be done.

We all have to do something to keep St Martin as clean as possible and it's in the interest of all. You tourists have the power of the money and when you have the money power people will listen to you. You are the one who make all, I mean all of us survive and they know about it, so it's time to do something.

Cheers My dearest Contessa."

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Send your letters of concern or experiences to:
sxmaddict@gmail.com
tourism dept. sxmto@aol.com
Presidents Secretary secretariat-sxm@wanadoo.fr
Together we're power!! Let's get our good, old, SXM back, again!!

Well......comments??

Contessa

Please get the email addresses for those people-French side and Dutch side who perhaps could actually do something about this problem. As my husband and I get older, I fear we'll become good "targets" for these criminals who commit crimes with impunity over and over again. It's time for both sides to work together to fix this problem. Right now it seems the powers to be are estactic about their #3 rating for tourist destination- that will change fast once news of these crimes get out to the public. Even a bus load of school age children was attacked yesterday (reported in the Daily Herald)!!
We'll get the word out if we know where and how to do it!! There's great power in these chat boards.

Contessa- After I spotted the addresses at the end of your original post. I sent them all an email calling for cooperation for both sides, more police, and tougher sentences for those criminals who are caught. Thank you for your help in allowing us to try to make a difference in a place we all love.

Sue, Thanks for your concern and not believing the B.S. that some of the articles are spewing about the gv't's concern for crime. If they're so concerned let them DO SOMETHING about it!! I'm sick of people sugar-coating what's really going on. During my 10 stay I saw more than I can share, due to a privacy issue!! It's disgusting. And for some people to post that they're proud of what's being done is crappola!! NOTHING is being done except a few politicians smiling for the camera. Read the Daily Herald of the past couple of days. And SXM being 3rd best destination in the Caribbean!?!
It sure used to be #1......3rd isn't good enough!! Was there any mention of the escalating crime?? NOT!! Well, my friend, believe me, there is trouble in Paradise! I've been told that the island is a MESS, by friends on both sides.
I love SXM enough to try to do my part in bringing attention to this problem. Not just for me....but for everyone. When spending hard earned $$$$, we shouldn't be looking over our shoulders.
Thanks again, for your emails and lets inundate Tourist officials and Gv't officials with emails of concern. When they realize the tourist $$$$$ that they may be losing, hopefully, they'll do something.

Regards,
Contessa

Contessa
I have been a fan of yours for years and eagerly followed your trip reports on TTOL. What confuses me is why was this eMail posted here and not on TTOL?

"Contessa
I have been a fan of yours for years and eagerly followed your trip reports on TTOL. What confuses me is why was this eMail posted here and not on TTOL?"

It was posted on TTOL first.

Augie;

I am an agnostic dyslexic who questions if there really is a dog.

Thanks! I'm a member of a lot of forums and have been posting on all of them!
Thanks for trying to make our beloved, SXM, safer!!


Regards,
Contessda

Then it didn't get much traction.

1600+ reads on two threads! Not too much?

Augie;

I am an agnostic dyslexic who questions if there really is a dog.

Brooklyn, what you might not realize is that on TTOL it is posted under the SXM People Talk section..not in the SXM Forum.

Sounds great. Maybe we could get Ed and Sandra involved too. With all their contacts, we could really get this ball rolling.

And what about the ignored and considered legal pilfering of timeshare owners with imposed special assessments and such.

Street crime and corporate crime - seems like everyone is getting beat up by the island now. Too bad the beaters always seem to win.

Augie.....to date there have been 2,346 viewings.....not counting this forum!
Hopefully, the letters of concern will be flying to government!!

Regards,
Contessa

Unfortunately, government (tourist) officials just start thinking in terms of new blood - so there are some lost customers, it means nothing. We can all complain about it, but they see the same old, same old emails and letters concerning crime and other sad conditions and they only ignore us more.

There will always be new blood, those who have never experienced the island in better days (as we see it); for all these new people know - these are the better days. These people will keep the island's main industry going. For every one of us now withdrawing from the island, there are two more ready to give it a whirl - fall in love (like we did) and continue to go until it changes become apparent to them. They will move on and others will move in. It's a freakin cycle. It is the new blood to influence, not the government. Why do you think the form you fill in on the plane asks - reason for visit and how many times you have visited?

A lessening of the old blood and the NEW blood is what will ultimately matter to the officials, not the old blood's emails and letters.

Well,TS owner......the 'new' blood may not be able to afford SXM as the dollar weakens!! So, that may not be the issue. We're the ones with expendable income and have spent mucho $$$$ in SXM......and would continue to do so if the crime situation was to be resolved. I don't think the government officials are stupid, I think they're 'comfortable' with the way things are. It's about time someone put some thorns on their backsides so they understand what's really going on. Remember, politicians have huge EGOS, and don't want people bad-mouthing them. If we do it enough, they'll have to do something.
It's not only the tourists dog-fight, the locals are feeling it, too! So, let's hope we can heat them up, enough so that they need to cool things down.
Fingers are xxxxxxxxxxxx!!

Regards,

Contessa