# Crime in St Martin/St Maarten



## RIMike (Aug 10, 2009)

This was posted on another post regarding St Martin: 

"For activities and travel, keep in mind CRIME IS AN ISSUE on the island"

I have thought about this ending of a post from another thread for a couple of days.  And I felt it was important enough that I respond.  

Every island in the Caribbean has the potential as do any states in the United States for a crime to take place.  I have visited New Orleans, LA on a number of occasions (but not since Katrina).  It has historically had a high crime rate. That did not stop me from enjoying the great music, historic sites or food.  But I did take percautions.

I have now visited many of the Caribbean Islands including, but not limited to Puerto Rico; New Providence & Paradise Island & Eleuthera of the Bahamas; USVI's St Thomas and St John; Aruba; Barbados; Dominica; Grand Cayman; and St Kitts among others, including St Martin. 

I had read a little about the crime on St Martin so I was particularly interested in this before I left the *first time *to visit there.  Now I have been four times and not once have I had trouble.  That does not mean it could not happen, but I have explored the island on schooters and by car from one side to the other and never had a problem.

While I would go to any of the islands without much hesitation with the exception of Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti, I would be more careful in Freeport, Bahamas and Dominica than the others.  (I saw someone on the street die of a drug overdose in Dominica)

So while it is possbile for crime to take place in St Martin and it has unique challenges with two governments running the island, I would not be overly concerned about crime any more than I would be worried if I were visiting Orlando or Tampa and less so than say Miami.


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## silverfox82 (Aug 10, 2009)

You make a valid point about crime being everywhere to some extent however I think what upsets some long time SXM visitors is that serious crimes are fairly new there. For whatever reason crime is now commonplace on SXM it was not that way until recently. I am leaving for the island in 2 weeks and will take precautions that were just not necessary in the past and that is both upsetting and perhaps a reason some will find another destination which will add to the poverty which is surely one of the factors in higher crime.


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## RIMike (Aug 10, 2009)

*Maybe, but not sure...*



silverfox82 said:


> You make a valid point about crime being everywhere to some extent however I think what upsets some long time SXM visitors is that serious crimes are fairly new there. For whatever reason crime is now commonplace on SXM it was not that way until recently. I am leaving for the island in 2 weeks and will take precautions that were just not necessary in the past and that is both upsetting and perhaps a reason some will find another destination which will add to the poverty which is surely one of the factors in higher crime.



Maybe, but not sure...
I have only been coming to St Martin/St Maarten over the last four years.  The first year I went they had just had a murder and mugging of a Gay Man & his partner from NYC so I read everything I could find on the subject.  In that case the man was caught and sentenced. It does not seem to me that crime has greatly increased over the last four years. I think it has always been there...as it has most every place in the world. I think maybe it is getting reported and people are more up on these issues than in the past.

But I am sure that crime is likely to rise many places as the economy in many places around the world struggles.


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## silverfox82 (Aug 10, 2009)

I was basing my thoughts as a first time visitor back in the 70's, one of the amazing things about SXM is how many of us have returned for decades. I have personally been on most of the islands in the Caribbean and SXM continues to be my favorite (for now). Crime has been a fact of life for the last 10 years or so but from first hand experience, years ago cars and hotel rooms were often not locked, so there has been a huge change in my time. It also has become violent crime rather than car breakins or pilferage from hotel rooms, the bad guys have guns now. Hopefully the situation will change when (and if) the economy turns around but right now it is going in the wrong direction, perhaps not in just 4 years but in 10,20 years. Been there, seen it.


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