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>POINTE BLANCHE:---  Port St. Maarten Security as well as several law enforcement agency representatives from St. Maarten recently attended a Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) security conference where a strategic security alliance has been formed.
RCCL allowed a team of security and law enforcement professionals from country St. Maarten to speak at a security conference held by Global Security for the company’s security staff. This conference is held twice a year, and this is the first time that a port destination has been included as speaker at the conference.

The St. Maarten team was made up of Acting Chief Police Commissioner Carl John, Immigration and Border Protection Policy advisor, Erling Hoeve, Customs Department Deputy Chief, Linda Ros, a Liaison Officer for the St. Maarten National Security Service, and Port St. Maarten Safety and Security Manager Roberto Levenstone.

This initiative was championed by Mark Mingo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Port St. Maarten, and supported by Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson of country St. Maarten, and came about as a result of a meeting that Richardson and former Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Hon. Claret Connor, held with President of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Michele M. Paige, and the association’s security advisers in Miami Florida, several weeks ago.

In the presentation to the conference delegates, the team shared strategic security plans that highlighted the network that offers security for cruise ship passengers explaining the workings of the existing network and security barrier from the cruise docks extending to the country’s borders.

Security professionals were given the opportunity at the forum to share concerns with providers of those services. It was pointed out that global events that increase threats to developing nations, are a reality, and security professionals must consider and share knowledge for a better interphase with each other.

Compiling information from open sources and analyzing industry’s data will aid in destinations enhancement of overall security for the visitor. With the constant evolution of global terrorism, destination facility security plans must merge with the country’s security plan and include partner and stakeholder’s wishes. Good contact and endured cooperation serves to help avert a country’s crime situation affecting the industries critical to its development it was pointed out at the conference. The terrorist attack in Tunisia and criminal acts in Honduras are just two examples of risks that destinations must exhaust all resources to mitigate.

Other speakers at this conference were representatives of the FBI on Crimes on the High Seas and the inner workings of the Global terrorist networks; RCCL brand President Michael Bayley; Celebrity Cruises Brand President Lisa Lutoff – Perlo and the Senior Vice President for Global Security and RCCL’s Company Security Officer Gary Bald.
Because of this opportunity that was presented, RCCL and country St. Maarten have now connected creating a strategic ally for security, and this will allow for the members to share in each other’s knowledge and best practices.

During the working visit to Miami last week, the St. Maarten team was able to be part of RCCL’s boarding operations for Majesty of the Seas alongside with a US law enforcement contingent that protects United States borders from illegal movements. Last Thursday the team observed the boarding operations for Carnival Cruise Line at their terminal in Port Miami.

Claret Connor mentioned 1 time