The site DossierKoninkrijksrelaties reports that police staff shortages hamper response to domestic violence in the Caribbean Netherlands. A critical barrier to effectively addressing domestic violence in the Caribbean Netherlands is staff shortages within the police force, according to a recent report by the Council for Law Enforcement.

Key Challenges Identified: Capacity Shortages in Basic Police Care (BPZ):

• The BPZ of the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force (KPCN) struggles to handle additional reports of domestic violence due to limited staffing. As the first responders to such incidents, their initial actions are crucial for determining how cases proceed.
• Legal Inequalities in Police Custody and Pre-Trial Detention:
• The Public Prosecution Service BES faces complex decisions about pre-trial detention, which vary between Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius due to differing local circumstances.

Saba and St. Eustatius:

With no dedicated detention facilities outside limited police cells, suspects requiring pre-trial detention must be flown under police escort to the Caribbean Netherlands Correctional Institution (JICN) on Bonaire, causing high costs and straining police resources. Police officers needed for detainee supervision reduce street patrol capacity. The need for police escorts further depletes available staff.

Bonaire:

Since Bonaire has a detention facility, the police force there faces fewer logistical and staffing challenges related to pre-trial detention.

Consequences:

Due to these capacity constraints, suspects on Saba and St. Eustatius may be released earlier than those on Bonaire, sometimes under specific conditions. This disparity could undermine public trust in law enforcement and discourage victims from reporting crimes.

The Council for Law Enforcement underscores the urgent need for equitable law enforcement practices across the islands, emphasizing that victims of domestic violence must feel protected and safe. The Council plans to address these issues further in its upcoming 2024 study on the organization of law enforcement on Saba and St. Eustatius.

You can download the automatically translated version of the full report here.

DossierKoninkrijksRelaties