Aruba Police Force

The Aruba Police Force (Dutch: Korps Politie Aruba or KPA, Papiamento: Cuerpo Policial Aruba) is the law enforcement agency of the island of Aruba. The force operates under the authority of the Minister of Justice, Immigration and Integrity.

Aruba Police Force
MottoVigilat ut Quiescant
Agency overview
Employees650
Annual budget$7.9 million (2014)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionAruba
Size178.91 km² (69.08 sq mi)
Population103,400 (2014)
Legal jurisdictionAruba
Operational structure
Overviewed byMinistry of Justice, Immigration & Integrity
HeadquartersMacuarina #65
Santa Cruz, Aruba
Departments
Facilities
Precincts
Website
facebook.com/korpspolitiearuba

History
The police in the capital of Oranjestad were once stationed in Willem III Tower at Fort Zoutman.[1]

In 1923, the Police Corps consisted of 8 officers and was understaffed. The first police station was an Aruban house located at the corner of Kazernestraat and Theaterstraat in San Nicolaas. It was used as an office and jail until 1939. After being taken over by the Public Works Service, it was torn down in 1950. The Oranjestad police station and jail were housed in the landmark Willem III Tower at Fort Zoutman and moved to larger facilities by 1967.[1][2] The clock tower, which also functioned as a lighthouse until 1963,[3] is now part of the Historical Museum of Aruba at the fort.[4] The fire brigade was placed under the authority of the police from 1954 until 1977, when the forces were separated by the Minister of Justice.[5] Motorcycle officers were added in the early 1970s.[1]

Organization

Day-to-day operations is in the hands of the Commissioner of Police whom together with his deputies forms the Management Team, which consists out of the Deputy Commissioner of General Police Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Criminal Investigations and the Deputy Commissioner of Special Forces.

Divisions

The Police Force consists out of 3 divisions each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police

  • General Police Operations (Uniformed Police)
  • Criminal Investigation Operations (Detective, Forensics and Investigations)
  • Special Forces (K9, SWAT, Border Patrol, Riot Control, Bike Patrol, Tourism Police)

Precincts

The KPA has stations in four district precincts located in Oranjestad, Noord, San Nicolaas, and Santa Cruz, where it is headquartered[6] the Police Force also maintains a few community-tourism based post for better policing. Each precincts is headed by a Captain who reports directly to the deputy commissioner of general operations.

Management

List of Commissioners of Police
  • Roland W. Peterson (1986-1989)
  • Lucas E. Rasmijn (1990-1996)
  • Gerold Dompig (1995-2007) Assistant Commissioner[7]
  • Alwin R. Nectar (1997-2003)
  • Rolando F. Bernadina (2003-2006)
  • Peter D. Witte (2006-2010)
  • Adolfo R. Richardson (2010- 2018)[8]

List of Interim Commissioners of Police

In times of instability and indecisiveness within the Police Force or whenever a Commissioner of Police retires or vacates the post, the Minister of Justice has the authority to appoint an Interim Commissioner of Police to serve until a replacement has been appointed. usually after a 1-year period.

the current interim Commissioner of Police is Mr. Andrew S. Hoo, following Commissioner Richardson leave to vacate another post.

List of Deputy Commissioners
  • Mrs. Gertrude Hassell (2003–present)
  • Mrs. Vanessa Kock-Tjon (2013–present)*
  • Mrs. Irma Gordon (2013–present)*

*Yet to receive official promotion to the rank of Deputy Commissioner. current rank of Chief Inspector

Powers

The police have powers "ordinary" people do not have; e.g., an officer can stop or arrest people, or look in a shopping bag for lifted items, or (on authorization of the assistant prosecutor) search a home for arms. The police also have the power to use force. This power is often called the "monopoly on force". The police is one of the few organisations on the island that are allowed to use force, the use of which is bound by many rules and preconditions.

The power to stop someone is often confused with the power to arrest someone. The power to stop someone is the power of the police to make someone stand still, so that the police can ask for his name and address. Stopping someone means holding the suspect while waiting for the arrival of the police. When someone is stopped, he is always brought to a police station for questioning.

Cooperating with other services

When providing aid the police cooperates with other services. When dealing with an accident for example, the police cooperates with ambulance services, doctors and the fire brigade. The police also cooperate with the Koninklijke Marechaussee stationed on the island.

Slachtofferhulp

For providing support to victims the police cooperates with Slachtofferhulp (comparable to Victim Support). The employees of Slachtofferhulp are specially trained to provide support to victims of accidents and crime. They make sure that victims are coached, but they also help with filling in forms for insurance or a lawyer.

Notable cases

Susan McCormick case

On February 10, 1996, the KPA faced the first recorded random homicide of a tourist on Aruba. 47-year-old Susan McCormick was an American bartender from Hampton Bays, New York who was found dead at a roadside near the Steamboat restaurant with a bullet in her neck and her wallet still on her person.[9] Officials from the hotel where McCormick had been staying had reportedly told her family that she had died in a car accident. The police were initially puzzled and refused to publicly discuss the case, but told McCormick's sister Sharon Hoyt that there was no sign of a robbery.[10] On February 16, three local youths aged 15, 18, and 19 were arrested after two informants came forward. One of the teens who intended to rob her waved a .38-caliber pistol, which accidentally fired, and fled the scene by car. McCormick's brother-in-law Jim Sofranko, who visited the site of the shooting in search of clues, stated, "I don't think they expected the gun to go off. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Sofranko said the police told him of another case years ago in which a honeymooning groom killed his bride for the insurance money and that "this was the biggest case they ever had."[9]

Mansur family arrests

In October 1997, the Aruba Police Force arrested four men, including Eric and Alex Mansur of the powerful Mansur family, for extradition to the United States. They were among 85 individuals indicted in the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico on federal charges of involvement in a Caribbean money laundering ring following an FBI sting called Operation Golden Trash.[11][12]

Ranks

See also

References
  1. "Korps Politie Aruba: history". Aruba Police Force. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
  2. Monument Office. "Fort Zoutman / Willem III tower". Historia di Aruba. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  3. "Fort Zoutman / Historical Museum". Aruba.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  4. "Aruba Sights & Sounds". Visit Aruba. Archived from the original on 2010-08-10. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
  5. "The Aruba Fire Department (Brandweer Aruba) history". Aruba Fire Department. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
  6. "Korps Politie Aruba: district precincts". Aruba Police Force. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
  7. "Gerold Dompig". Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  8. Kparuba.com
  9. Kennedy, Helen (1996-02-19). "Aruba's Murder Mystery Solved". The New York Daily News. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  10. Kennedy, Helen (1996-02-12). "Mystery Shrouds Bartender's Death". The New York Daily News. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  11. "4 Wanted in U.S. Arrested by Police in Aruba". Miami Herald. 1997-10-08. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  12. "Tobacco Companies Linked to Criminal Organizations in Cigarette Smuggling". Center for Public Integrity. 2008. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
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