Royal Military Police significantly expands on Bonaire with dozens of additional staff
KRALENDIJK – The Royal Military Police (KMar) will significantly expand its presence in the Caribbean Netherlands over the next one and a half to two years. Approximately fifty full-time equivalents (FTEs) will be added across the BES islands, with the vast majority deployed on Bonaire. This was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Military Police to Bonaire.nu.
According to the KMar, the expansion is necessary to better fulfil the organisation’s statutory duties.
"The Royal Military Police is indeed expanding on the BES islands. This is needed to better meet our statutory obligations," the spokesperson said.
The expansion will not happen all at once. Over the next one and a half to two years, the workforce will be expanded in phases. This involves both locally recruited staff appointed through the Public Service of the Caribbean Netherlands (RCN) and military personnel deployed from the European Netherlands.
"Within one and a half to two years, approximately 50 FTEs will strengthen our deployment in the Caribbean Netherlands. The vast majority of these will be on Bonaire," the KMar stated.
The expansion is relevant in the context of the ongoing discussion about the future accommodation of Defence and security services on Bonaire. The Public Entity Bonaire (OLB) wants to terminate the lease on the agricultural plot where Onima Aloe N.V. operates its commercial aloe plantation.
Agricultural plot
Defence previously told Bonaire.nu that it is exploring, together with the OLB, whether a shared facility for Defence and local security services can be established on the agricultural plot adjacent to the Caribbean Netherlands Custodial Institution (JICN).
Defence emphasised that it is still being investigated whether the plot in question actually meets the needs of Defence and the OLB. At the time, no agreements had yet been signed.
The new information from the Military Police makes clear that the need for additional capacity will grow considerably in the coming years. Whether the expansion of approximately fifty FTEs is directly linked to the plans for the disputed aloe plantation site, the KMar has not said. No clarity has yet been provided on the definitive accommodation.
