I just had a person come into my office and said to be very wary of SXM. She said they went to dinner on the island last year and said there were armed guards by Grand Case and she felt very unsafe. I have been 3 or 4 times and never felt unsafe.

Has the island changed?

The world has changed. I have recently been in Paris and NYC and have seen police with automatic weapons walking the street in both places. This would NOT have been a routine sight years ago..

I guess I think a little differently, but I feel safer with the Police presence, and the fact that they are armed. But, that's just me after 30 years of patrolling the streets of New Orleans as a Police Officer.

Yes, things have definitely changed since we first started visiting St. Martin. Doors were left open and cars unlocked back then and people were not murdering each other. However, I still consider our visits relatively safe considering what is happening in other destinations. We have never felt unsafe dining in Grand Case, but many others don't travel to Grand Case for dining like they used to for various reasons.

I feel safer also, if the police are there. I feel sorry that such things are necessary in Grand Case, but I also am glad that the restaurant owners and merchants in Grand Case have stepped up and formed their own organization and have private security in GC, in addition to the gendarmes' presence.

I have never felt unsafe at any time in SXM - except when driving a scooter.

Oh, and maybe on that damned zip-line. That was terrifying.

Good example. I have been to N'awlins MANY times and have never felt unsafe there...and..I have never seen armed guards at restaurants and tourist sites....and we all know the crime issues in NOLA

Maybe it's the "feeling" rather than the reality. If there wasn't the armed guards in Grand Case would the visitor have felt safer because the guard is a sign of potential violence?
No guard...no feeling that they are needed to be safe.
Guard...they are needed to protect

As a Canadian, guns are a fairly foreign concept outside of hunting. Seeing people with weapons is a jarring experience. I think for me it does make me feel like there is something to be wary of.

It's really something to see how much the world (appears) to have changed in not very many years.

Armed guards would be to make people feel SAFER and to protect the area. Things have changed over the years, but that is pretty much true everywhere. Be aware, use common sense and you should be ok.

There were armed personnel in most airports here after 9/11 and I have seen it also at some foreign airports.

I agree BUT it makes it very apparent that they are NEEDED.

Would you feel safer in a "safe" place without armed guards or an unsafe place WITH them??

Which implies that it is "safer"? Lee's in Simpson Bay with no guards anywhere or a restaurant in GC with armed guards outside...

The Gendarme are always armed. Just use common sense...in SXM and whenever you travel.

I am not sure anyplace, either on the island or the restaurant I am going to tonight is 100% "safe" and I never said Grand Case was "unsafe".

As also stated, the Gendarmes are armed and are often seen walking around.

Based on my personal feelings, seeing armed guards in Grand Case would raise my comfort level and I also know at any time there is the possibility Simpson Bay could have problems also.

Surprised that no one related to the original question. There were crime issues there (Grand Case) not too long ago (within the last year???) and there was a concerted effort to put guards in place by the restaurants to deter crime. My understanding is that it worked.

I personally have seen crime on the main street in Grand Case some 11 years ago, but things seem to be OK now. I also had crime committed to my parked car in Grand Case 11 years ago.

The world has changed. Much of my 40 year business career was spent traveling the world. It was not unusual to see armed guards at many hotels. We returned from Istanbul 2 months ago. During our visit we stood on the very spot where the terrorist explosion occurred.

We have a very different perspective on travel in today's world. We've already booked a long visit to Morocco for this fall but are having second thoughts.

We just returned and we encountered Gendarmes at several different locations along the roads between the French border and Grand Case. They didn't appear to be performing sobriety checks but we pulling over vehicles for checks. As I said, we went by a number of times and weren't stopped so they were obviously had particular vehicles they were looking for. I asked around and was told that security has been stepped up since the Paris incident. They were well armed but not menacing in any way and the checkpoints seemed to be evident more often in the morning. Oh..almost forgot to mention they had a presence at Harmony night in Grand Case but again, were just walking the streets for added security. Personally, I like the added presence especially with Grand Case being so busy on Tuesday night. Lots of local families were enjoying the street fair as well.

Trailer,

We've been visiting this island for 40+ years and you can't begin to imagine the changes we've seen. But we've seen these changes all over including right here in this quaint little New England town we choose to live in.

But that said, we still look forward to each and every trip we're fortunate enough to be able to make. With special regard to Grand Case, yes....they did have problems there about a year or so ago, and they banded together as a business community to make their patrons and their neighborhood safer. Kind of like a neighborhood watch for their particular neighborhood.

And from all appearances, it does seem to have worked. Or at least I haven't read about any incidents there since they took these measures which isn't to say there may or may not have been problems I've missed.

Personally speaking, I don't feel any more or less safe on SXM than I do anywhere else I've traveled and the armed gendarmes to me are just one more layer of protection. I do try to keep my head about me and I am more aware of my actions and my surroundings than I was all those many years ago, but I chalk those precautions as much to my age and level of awareness as I do potential criminal actions on the island. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Thank you all for the responses. I live in Chicago so the question is kind of Ironic

and the first time I went to Europe, in 1982 there were armed military all over CDG.
Nothing changed. Different situations.

A little off topic, but my first flight to Frankfurt in 1984, it felt like a military zone and WW2 was still going on. Tanks everywhere. It was a shocker on my very first European stop.

Right different dangers. I don't know why people get freaked out by seeing cops. It just means they are promptly and correctly responding.
Happens forever.
There is always danger. Cops are good to see.
irina

I think the OP was referring to "armed guards" and not patrolling police. Big difference...

Patrolling police convey safety and are normal routine....armed guards at an establishment make a visitor concerned why they need them (as was the point of the OP)

Now that you mention it, I am wondering if the Gendarmes are not what the person was referring to? Are there any "armed guards" on SXM? I see the "Sheriff" security and other
"guards" but I don't believe they are armed so to speak. Maybe a club or a dog but weapons??

We just returned from St martin. For dinners we ate 4 times in marina Royale, 2 times at bistro de la mer in Marigot,4 times in grand case & twice at le Taitu. We never felt unsafe. As nakedasajaybird said "use common sense... in sxm & whenever you travel".
The gendarme were doing seat belt checks one day & waved us on as they could see ours.
Perfectly wonderful trip. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />