We have a new chief of Police in the district of Noord, Captain Gino Winklaar, a proud member of Korps Politie Aruba, a graduate of the Police Academy of the Netherlands.
We met him at a Hyatt Regency resort function recently and we all found it especially rewarding to have him around as a guest. He is in charge of the hotel community on Palm Beach, and felt obliged to reach out on his first few weeks on the job. Kudos.
You know I had to quiz him, as soon as I met him:
It took him about three years to decided that he really wanted to join the men in blue. His father encouraged his law school studies, but mid-year at UA law faculty it dawned on Winklaar he was attracted to the daily application of the law, not to its intellectual pursuit. So he decided to apply with the force, a life-changing decision and a long term commitment.
He spent almost 6 years in the Police academy, they wanted to keep him in uniform in the Netherlands, but Aruba said, no way, he’s coming back home.
Then he enjoyed a fast career in Tourism Oriented Policing, as a coordinator with the Beach Police, followed by a stint as a policy maker in San Nicholas. Next came almost 6 years in the International Organized Crime unit — I bet he has interesting stories to tell — and currently as the district chef, chief of uniform units in Noord and our main tourism areas, he already outranks his father, Gino Winklaar Sr., who has more than 40 years on the force, thinking about fishing, and his upcoming retirement.
So what are your plans I asked.
Winklaar reports he is very customer oriented and aware of his status as a civil servant. For the Police headquarters in Noord, he plans going back to basics, making sure his colleagues are held accountable, doing what they are trained to do, while maintaining helpful and friendly ties with the community.
The job of your chief of Police, he explained, depends on the socio-economic climate of the island. If our social and economic situation improves and delinquency is in decline, we love the chief, and if faced by social and economic challenges crime escalates, we hate him. Winklaar believes that the rise in the number of challenges is rarely the Police’s fault, and they do their best under all circumstances, working for the community.
According to Winklaar the feeling of law, order and safety is always subjective; it depends on the age, the economic strength and the consciousness of the public, perceiving the same situation in different ways. A native of war-torn Syria or troubled Venezuela will appreciate our peace and calm much more than a native Aruban, who feels One Happy Island is the norm. Aruba has always been very safe and secure, and the media often takes the smallest incidents out of proportion.
Very much a family man, Winklaar, 38, likes to BBQ for the extended family on weekends, and dedicates the rest of his time to the force. While the men in blue sometimes work 16 hours a day, he feels it is his job to send them home after 8 hours, to refresh and recharge.
Educated, engaged and engaging. The contemporary chief of Police represents a new breed of uniformed officials!
From his on line profile: Police Captain in charge of Aruba’s Noord District and the Tourism Industry, formerly Manager Operations of an Investigations Unit. Experienced in International Crime, crisis management, community policing, immigration, tourism oriented policing, hotel security, crime prevention, strategy and tactics.
