SABA (THE BOTTOM) - The Public Entity Saba is cognizant of the challenges that owners of free-roaming goats face in the transition process of the goat control project, and will therefore provide additional forms of assistance to help goat owners remove and/or control their goats.

This additional assistance consists of a four-month extension of the first grace period, the availability of a meat-processing unit as well as chiller and freezer units, the investigation of possible markets to sell goat meat abroad, help with the shooting of goats and the recovery of carcasses, time off for civil servants to shoot their goats, the availability of ammunition, subsidized fencing and building materials for pens, subsidized veterinary care, assistance with animal food, and access to a goat-farming advisor.

An explanation on these additional forms of assistance was provided in a letter signed by Island Governor Jonathan Johnson that was delivered to the goat owners last week.

Additional time

Initially, goat owners were granted a grace period of three months from October to December 2020 to remove their goats with the possibility to request an extension of another three months. The Public Entity Saba decided to grant goat owners an additional four-month extension, giving them extra time to remove their goats. The extended grace period runs from January 1 to April 30, 2021. Goat owners can also, under certain conditions, request an additional term of three months maximum at the end of the second grace period from April 30. With the two grace periods and the possibility to request an additional term, goat owners will have been given 10 months in total to remove their goats.

As already planned, the removal of goats will start in the Mt. Scenery National Park, and the areas of the waste management facility and Fort Bay Road. Several owners of free-roaming goats are also civil servants. The Public Entity Saba will grant these goat owners who are civil servants time off to remove their animals.

Processing, storing and selling of goat carcasses

To accommodate the butchering of goats during the goat control project and thereafter, the Public Entity Saba will make available a 20-ft meat-processing unit for goat owners. The unit has been purchased and should arrive this month. With this unit, goat owners can still butcher their goats in the traditional way, but now in a more efficient, controlled and hygienic manner. The meat-processing unit was customized in close consultation with the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) to ensure that goat carcasses processed in this unit can meet the legal requirements of preparing and trading food products in the Caribbean Netherlands.

To ensure there is adequate freezer storage capacity to store the goat carcasses during the goat control project, the Public Entity Saba will make a 20-ft chiller container and a 20-ft freezer container available to goat owners. The units have been purchased and should arrive this month with the meat-processing unit. They too were customized in close consultation with the NVWA. One of the limiting factors for goat owners to shoot more goats was lack of storage. These container units were purchased to address this problem. These units will also be used after the project has ended and animal husbandry has further developed for the butchering of different types of livestock.

Goat owners are responsible for the sale of their own goat meat. The Saba government will investigate for free-roaming goat owners whether the option of a viable market/avenue through which they can sell carcasses to neighboring islands is available.

Shooting of goats and carcass recovery

To assist goat owners with ammunition to shoot their goats, the Public Entity Saba purchased 3,750 rounds of ammunition in the Netherlands. The ammunition is available to the goat owners via the local reseller. The goat control project paid for the transportation to Saba.

During the grace period, goat owners can, under certain conditions, receive additional assistance from the invasive species specialists to shoot their goats. After the grace period and when no additional term has been requested or granted, the specialists will come to each zone to shoot the remaining goats. Goat owners can request specified days for access to these restricted zones to shoot, which will be accommodated where reasonable.

The Public Entity Saba will provide additional manpower, under certain conditions, to goat owners to help bring back the carcasses of the goats that they shoot during the grace period. Assistance to recover carcasses will only be extended to areas where the goat owners shoot and go themselves to recover carcasses and in areas which are deemed reasonably safe.

Goats in fences

The Public Entity Saba wants to ensure that goats are ultimately kept behind fences and will therefore also help goat owners to ensure that their animals are properly fenced, have water, food and shelter, and are given the necessary care. Subsidized fencing and other building materials will be made available to help the goat owners with the initial investment and start-up costs of fencing in their animals. Also, the goat owners can make use of subsidized veterinary care in case their animals get sick. The Public Entity Saba aims to assist with food for goats that are fenced in and is currently investigating ways in which this can be made possible for not only goat owners, but also other livestock owners. To improve their farms, animal husbandry techniques and business models, goat farmers can be given access to a goat farming advisor.

Within short, the public will receive another update, focusing on the planning of the goat control project and what can be expected going forward.

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - The Central Dispatch received several calls about an armed robbery in progress at a jewelry store on Front Street on Wednesday morning at approximately 10.45 am, the police said in a statement.

Several patrols and detective personnel were immediately directed to the location. Shortly after the robbery, the Central Dispatch received additional suspect information that three men on two scooters, all dressed in dark clothing had robbed the jewelry store a few minutes prior to the call.

After robbing the store, they continued up Front Street in the direction of Juancho Yrausquin Boulevard. Based on information received, a police patrol spotted a scooter matching the description and attempted to intercept the suspects in the vicinity of the Freedom Fighters roundabout.

Upon sighting of the police patrol one of the scooter riders fled in the direction of Sucker Garden road. The second scooter took off at high speed in the direction of the Nisbeth road toward the Salt Pickers roundabout. Chase was given and shots were fired on Arch Road, leaving one suspect dead. The other suspect on the same scooter was wounded and later rushed to Sint Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) for treatment.

Immediately several police patrols, detectives, Forensic investigators, and paramedics were dispatched to the scene to conduct the initial police investigation into what had exactly taken place. The area was immediately cordoned off for the different departments, to collect evidence and for detectives to speak to potential witnesses.

The identity of the suspects has not yet been established. The investigation is in its preliminary stages and more details are unavailable at this time. As soon as more information becomes available the public will be informed.

Anyone with information with about this or any of armed robberies that have taken place over the last weeks, should contact SUR detectives via + 1 721 542 2222 ext. 203, 204 or 205, the anonymous tip line 9300, send a private message via Facebook Page: Police Force of Sint Maarten - Korps Politie Sint Maarten or website www.policesxm.sx. (KPSM)

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - Complaints about sexual abuse against minors involving an elementary school employee and her neighbor led to their arrests early today, Wednesday, April 7, 2021, by the Juvenile Department of the Police KPSM on the order of the Prosecutor’s Office OM SXM.

The houses of the two suspects were searched as part of the ongoing “Pandora” investigation that is also looking into child pornography. A firearm and a quantity of marijuana were found and confiscated from one of the houses. Data carriers were confiscated from both houses.

The investigation is ongoing and the suspects - J.D.W. and B.E.H.S. remain in police custody.

One of the suspects is a (suspended) school employee who targeted her victims at school. The (alleged) abuse later took place when the victims attended after-school tutoring at the suspect’s home.

The abuse of the minors took place at the homes of the suspects over prolonged periods of time starting from around 2010. The time span of the abuse differs based on each victim’s contact with the arrestees. In the case of one victim, the abuse occurred on the premise of an elementary school. The abuse of another victim took place in 2019 and during the 2020 lockdown when the child was at tutoring classes at the home of one of the arrestees.

Aside from complaints of sexual abuse, one complainant stated that photographs of the victim(s) were taken by the school employee and shared with the second arrestee, who is her neighbor.

All of the victims in this case are/were below the age of 13 at the time they were abused by the suspects.

Cases involving the sexual abuse of minors are considered as heinous by OM SXM and KPSM as they target the most vulnerable in the community – children.

OM SXM and KPSM are cognizant that cases like this are very emotional ones and urges parents and guardians not to let emotions guide actions. The police and OM SXM are working diligently on tackling such cases for the safety of the community and in particular our children.

OM SXM and KPSM encourage everyone in the community to be mindful about the welfare of all children and to report any and all instances of sexual abuse whether against minors or adults. To report (sexual) abuse, call KPSM on + 1 721 554-2222, extension 501.

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - The personnel of the Traffic Department are investigating a serious accident that took place on Sunday April 4^th, 2021 about 2.45 pm on the crossing L.B. Scott road and the Flamboyant road.

Upon investigation into what transpired, it was discovered that the driver of a grey pick-up and the driver of a motorcycle were both travelling in the same direction from St Peters towards the Church-hill roundabout.

At a given moment, the driver of the pickup opted to turn left to enter onto Flamboyant road. At the very same time, the gray-pick-up was being overtaken by the rider of the motorcycle who collided with the front side the pick-up.  

Due to the collision the motorcycle rider received injuries to his face and back. He was treated at the scene by the personnel of the ambulance and later transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center.

The Traffic Department personnel could not do any investigation on the motorcycle involved in the accident, as unknown persons had removed the motorcycle from the scene of the collision prior to the arrival of patrols or Traffic Department. (KPSM)