WILLEMSTAD - The Justice Minister and the police have taken note of the regrettable events in recent weeks and share the concern in our community.
Given the number of crime and tragic accidents in the first six months of 2019 and especially some sad events last week in which young people under the age of 25 were involved, the Minister of Justice gives the community a picture of its repressive and preventive trajectories.
In the context of the intensification of repressive trajectories, the Police Force has made a number of arrests in the cases of assaults (in homes) and extortion, which has solved some crime cases. On the other hand, we became aware of fatal traffic accidents due to deviant behavior, which show a worrying tendency in the community.
Given the impact of crime on our island, the community takes note of the steps taken to increase police visibility on the street. The cooperation between the Police Force, VKC and the Military in Curaçao will become closer in the coming weeks and months. By ministerial decree persons and motorists in certain areas are preventively checked. The minister requests the community to cooperate with the authorities during the controls.
A few safety measures will follow shortly that cannot be announced at this time.
If the community does not pay attention to prevention, only repressive actions will NOT reduce the number of crimes and regrettable events.
The Ministry of Justice is aware of its important role in crime prevention, but success can only be achieved with all groups in society. For this reason, various prevention programs in neighborhoods and at school are initiated in August and September together with different groups in society. Crime is not committed in a society with strong behavior. Crime in a country starts with the lack of norms and values in the community that is increasingly tolerated. A relatively large group tolerates and even encourages wrong behavior. A subculture has emerged with the thought: "bad things are good and good things are bad."
For this reason, the prerequisite for fighting crime is as follows: as a country we must redefine our norms and values so that they are strengthened. Institutions such as the family, neighborhoods, government organizations, private organizations, social, religious, sporting and artistic organizations must assume their responsibility and educate young people to make responsible choices. This means fewer people come into contact with the judiciary.
Justice is doing everything possible, preventive and repressive, to fight crime in our country. Justice trusts that it will get the cooperation of the population so that together we can build a healthy and safe community!