NETHERLANDS ANTILLES/ANTIGUA
Criminals made an attempt to halt police air operations last month. Early on a Sunday morning they cut through the fence of the Princess Juliana International Airport and set the tarpaulin covering the police Robinson R44 helicopter on fire. Fortunately, the damage was little, confined to the windshield.
Police in St. Maarten added aerial patrols to their operations in 2002, when an agreement was reached with Curacao-based Speedy Kopter, to lease the R-44. The aircraft is used for patrolling St. Maarten and the nearby Dutch Antilles territories of Saba and St. Eustatius. As a result of the incident efforts are being made to station the aircraft closer to the police station. The airport is about 30 minutes driving distance. [Antigua Sun]