Crime in St. Maarten / St. Martin
Crime in St. Maarten / St. Martin
St. Maarten / St. Martin is paradise -- not utopia. It, like most other
places in the world these days, does have crime, from petty thievery on up.
In SXM, we suggest you behave just as rationally and thoughtfully as you would anywhere else. Here are our
suggestions to keep you safe in SXM:
- Don't leave valuables in your room, in your car, or at your chair (or buried in sand) on a beach when you take a walk. In cars, that includes either
visible or in the trunk. If we see people put camcorders, purses, etc., in car trunks, so do bad guys. Carrying large pocketbooks late at night can also invite unwanted attention (very rare, but be cautious anyway).
- Avoid ALL dimly lit areas at night. For example, if you're going to
the Maho area or Casino Royale at night, use the Casino's valet parking.
Never park inside the gate of the old Mullet Bay Beach Resort. If you're in Grand Case at night, try to park near the street in central parking -- and go with others so you are not alone, or use a known Concierge service to transport you door to door. See next two items.
- If you dine in Philipsburg at night, go with others or use valet
parking if available. There are few people in Philipsburg at night.
- Avoid wearing lots of flashy gold jewelry or flashing wads of cash in public places.
- Avoid Hiking at Pic Paradis. It's a breathtaking area but there
have been holdups there over several years and the gendarmerie has done
little to stop them. Driving halfway up
to take pictures (near the start of the zipline) has not been a problem.
- Protect your laptop computer. Use a Kensington lock (with at
least four numbers -- three-numbered locks have failed numerous times), and
put it where it's not visible (under a sink is a bad idea; pipes leak).
Updated 1/8/25
