Aruba Police Force
Encyclopedia
The Aruba Police Force is the law enforcement agency of the island of Aruba
. The force operates under the authority of the Ministry of Justice.
s located in Oranjestad
, Noord
, San Nicolaas, and Santa Cruz
, where it is headquartered. The force is organized into nine departments: Staff Division, VIP Team, Internal Affairs, Swat Team, Criminal Investigation, General Police Operations, Special Police Operations, and Executive Support & Operational Management, headed by the office of the Commissioner (Dutch: Korpschef). Under the Chief Commissioner, also known as Hoofd Commissaris, are Deputy Commissioners (Dutch: Commissaris).
Tower at Fort Zoutman
and moved to larger facilities by 1967. The clock tower
, which also functioned as a lighthouse
until 1963, is now part of the Historical Museum of Aruba at the fort. 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. Motorcycle officers were added in the early 1970s.
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. 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. 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."
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.
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
. The force operates under the authority of the Ministry of Justice.
Organization
The KPA has stations in four district precinctPrecinct
A precinct is a space enclosed by the walls or other boundaries of a particular place or building, or by an arbitrary and imaginary line drawn around it. The term has several different uses...
s located in Oranjestad
Oranjestad, Aruba
Oranjestad is the capital and largest city of Aruba, which is in the Caribbean north of Venezuela. Oranjestad is located on the southern coast near the western end of the island country...
, Noord
Noord
Noord is a town in Aruba . It is part of the Noord/Tanki Leendert administrative unit of Aruba, which has a population of 16,944 as of 2000....
, San Nicolaas, and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, Aruba
Santa Cruz is a big town in central Aruba. The town is connected by Highway 7 from west to east and Highway 4 from north to south....
, where it is headquartered. The force is organized into nine departments: Staff Division, VIP Team, Internal Affairs, Swat Team, Criminal Investigation, General Police Operations, Special Police Operations, and Executive Support & Operational Management, headed by the office of the Commissioner (Dutch: Korpschef). Under the Chief Commissioner, also known as Hoofd Commissaris, are Deputy Commissioners (Dutch: Commissaris).
List of chief commissioners
- Roland W. Peterson (1986-1989)
- Lucas E. Rasmijn (1990-1996)
- Alwin R. Nectar (1997-2003)
- Rolando F. Bernadina, LLM (2003-2006)
- Peter de Witte (2006-2010)
- Adolfo E. Richardson, LLM (2010-
History
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 IIIWilliam III of the Netherlands
William III was from 1849 King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866.-Early life:William was born in Brussels as son of William II of the Netherlands and...
Tower at Fort Zoutman
Fort Zoutman
Fort Zoutman is a military fortification at Oranjestad, Aruba. Built in 1798 by the Dutch army, it is the oldest structure on the island of Aruba. The Willem III Tower was added to the west side of the fort in 1868...
and moved to larger facilities by 1967. The clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
, which also functioned as a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
until 1963, is now part of the Historical Museum of Aruba at the fort. 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. Motorcycle officers were added in the early 1970s.
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 a popular AmericanPeople of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
from Hampton Bays, New York
Hampton Bays, New York
Hampton Bays is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 12,236 at the 2000 census.Hampton Bays is in the Town of Southampton.-Geography:...
who was found dead at a roadside near the Steamboat restaurant with a bullet in her neck and her wallet still on her person. 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. 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."
Mansur family arrests
In October 1997, the Aruba Police Force arrested four men, including Eric and Alex Mansur of the powerful Mansur family, for extraditionExtradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They were among 85 individuals indicted in the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico
United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
The United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The court is based in San Juan. The main building is the Clemente Ruiz Nazario U.S. Courthouse located in the Hato Rey district of San Juan...
on federal charges of involvement in a Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
ring following an FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
sting
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
called Operation Golden Trash.
See also
- Foreign relations of ArubaForeign relations of ArubaThe Netherlands Antilles conducts foreign affairs primarily through the Dutch government, however, Aruba has strong relations with other Caribbean governments. Aruba is an observer in the Caribbean Community , an associate member of the World Trade Organization through the Netherlands and is a full...
- Illegal drug trade in ArubaIllegal drug trade in ArubaThe illegal drug trade in Aruba involves trans-shipment of cocaine and other drugs through Aruba to the United States.Corruption in Aruba is so widespread that "Claire Sterling, widely acclaimed for her works on drugs and crime, said of it: 'the world's first independent mafia state emerged in...
- InterpolInterpolInterpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
- Law enforcement in the NetherlandsLaw enforcement in the NetherlandsLaw enforcement in the Netherlands is provided by 25 regional police forces , the Netherlands Police Agency and the Royal Marechaussee , a gendarmerie.-Organisation:...
External links
- Korps Politie Aruba (Aruba Police Force) official site
- Aruba Chapter of the International Police AssociationInternational Police AssociationThe International Police Association is the largest organisation for police officers in the world.The founder Arthur Troop , a police sergeant, was born in Lincoln, in the English county of Lincolnshire....