TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Fake? Gendarmes detained in brawl at Sunset

Daily Herald story Yikes!

Another less than glowing thing the island doesn't need. This is starting to appear like the "wild, wild west". Sad.

It is also going to increase the friction between the 2 policing bodies. So less collaboration on fighting real crime.

SXM??? Wendell

Probably a very accurate assessment.

You stay classy, SXM.

There should be swift and decisive terminations.

The info on the Herald's site is a hoax


http://www.sxminfo.fr/105550/05/01/2016/...e-daily-herald/

Well this IS interesting.

I didn't read that one. I read another one that said that the head of the gendarmes denied that there were any gendarmes arrested last night. That's not the same as a "hoax", which to me means the whole incident never happened. I guess they are saying that the people only pretended to be gendarmes.

The sad part is hoax or not, now a days it is believable.

SXM??? Wendell

Believe me, French Gendarmes don't get mixed up in bar fights. On SXM when not on duty, they hang out in the hotels where they live, Mercure of in Oyster pond. They don't mix.
Many of them don't drink at all.

French Gendarmerie is a military outfit, they could get court-marshaled.

That's why I found the info to be weird.

Here is the translation: According to the Daily Herald, police in the Dutch side have detained three men who introduced themselves as policemen on Monday evening, after what appears to have been a fight at the Sunset Beach Bar where a vigil was involved. This resulted in a scuffle with officers of the Dutch police.

This is false information that was relayed by the Daily Herald this morning. Indeed, no French gendarme was involved in a fight that night. Reached by telephone, Captain Maignan ensure "that no policeman was involved in anything overnight".

The enforcement of the Dutch side and French side are now controlling the identities of these people, who have visas and are "perhaps not French." Maignan The Captain says that we must also check whether they are not former police or military. "One thing is certain: they are not policemen or Saint-Martin, Saint Barthelemy, Guadeloupe or" ensures the Captain. These individuals are not included in the files held by the military.

It nevertheless remains cautious: "if it turns out that it's true we are interested, we have to make up our information hierarchy to sanctions. There is no special treatment and these people will receive a double punishment, justice of the Dutch first and then of military justice. It is totally uncompromising desus there. "

Yes, that is really sad, that we all straight up believed it. Of course, if the people involved in fact were not gendarmes, the DH should have checked their story a little better. And IF in fact there were other (legitimate) gendarmes there last night, they should have known straight up the people weren't legit and told the Dutch police that?

And not real Gendarmes do not call real Gendarmes to help ( and real Gendarmes do not come across borders to help not real Gendarmes). Also ..probably... Dutch side police do not let police imposters go.

I would think this.....

SXM??? Wendell

dilbert
Isn't Le Mercure on the lagoon side of Baie Nettle.

And the UPDATE today.

And another UPDATE .

Yes, French Gendarmes are here on 3 month tours. Therefore they find arrangements with Hotels and restaurants.

By the way, if you do see a group of gendarmes eating at a place, try it, they are very good at spotting good restaurants.

The Daily Herald website seems to be down. What did it say??

It came up for me. Here is a small part.

"Contrary to earlier reports that the men were Gendarmes and that there was a standoff between Dutch-side police and Gendarmes, the police have denied this and said that to their knowledge the men did not have military training.
The police stated, “The Gendarmes and the Dutch police have a very good working relationship between them and are striving to make this relationship much stronger.”

How weird! I just tried IE and Firefox and it didn't work.. Thanks for the info.

Google Chrome.

worked for me too.

I had trouble with it earlier but no problems for the last hour plus.... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I just now got on, not sure what the problem was.

Boy someone sure messed up that story!!!

According to a story in today's DH, two French nationals were fined some 1100 guilders and released and have already returned to France.

I trust the French authorities to give them a very warm welcoming at Paris airport !