I am not new to "the islands" but I am a newbie to the SXM forum. We just returned from our first trip to this beautiful island you all are so passionate about, and for good reasons...it's great! The topic of personal safety comes up quite a bit here and on other forums, so I know that it is a primary concern for everyone. Comments were made on my trip report regarding safety at Fort Louis in Marigot and I responded with a cavalier statement, I thought about my comments on my drive home tonight. I did a bit of research before choosing Saint Martin as our destination, this included reading local online news which seemed to have an active police blotter. I will say that comments on TTOL and the numerous articles I read raised concerns for me regarding our safety on this trip. Heck, once on island even French locals advised not to be in certain areas after dark. The warnings that you post here on TTOL are priceless and did not fall on deaf ears for me.
That being said, we never felt unsafe during our week, ever! Now that being said....we were always back at our villa by 9-10pm. My observations regarding security during daylight hours discovered a very proactive police force. In Marigot and other parts of the island we saw many friendly officers in tactical vests walking the streets talking to folks, they were also on bicycles or driving around in vehicles, they often had a partner. At night for example we saw officers at Dreams, in front of a pharmacy in Maho and at a grocery store, saw one in front of a store in in Cucepoy etc. They were, for us anyway, very visible and vigilant.
I can understand reporting recent crime incidents, or places where crime is routine, because this is good information to help keep us all on our toes. Knowledge is power! But at the same time consider this, the next time you see the police presence that makes you feel safe write a post describing that good experience. Positive reports are just as valuable as the negative, and with that kind of knowledge we will keep me coming back! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />
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