The New Year started with a bang, several bangs, too many bangs at that and with each bang a life was ended. The violence in Belize City has escalated to unacceptable levels and culminated with the loss of five lives in just the first three days. Colin Sutherland, 22, was killed on New Years Day, Robert Gillett, 28, and Kenneth Dobson, 32, were killed on Monday, January 2, Randolph Johnson, 19, and Bert Abraham, 47, were killed on Tuesday, January 3. Most of these deaths are the result of gangland violence and internal gang warfare. Public outcry and the call for Police action was immediate and not without reason. There was a sense of impending danger for the general public as these gang outbursts can easily lead to loss of innocent lives. Now all life is important and precious, but when these gang members have engaged in MAD (mutually agreed destructive) behavior then they have forfeited their right to live as law abiding citizens do.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is working on a short, medium and long term plan to address the crime situation in the Eastern Division. Minister of State responsible for the Police Department and former Deputy Commissioner, Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr., led a meeting with Commanders of the Eastern Division and special police units operating in the area on Wednesday, January 4. According to Minister Aragon, the Ministry of Home Affairs will unveil a medium and long term plan within the next few days. Until then, “the short term plan is to get the immediate conflicts under control”.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams extends a sharp message to the gangsters of Southside Belize City. “I will send sound warning to those persons who have not taken advantage of the 1 year and 6 months to decide whether or not they want to change their lifestyle, that the style of policing will be changed where they are concerned,” said Williams. “You cannot be out there on one hand committing crime and pushing others to commit crime and on the other hand think that you can call me and I will rescue or take the police off your back. That will not happen.” Williams has been criticized by many in the public, including this newspaper at times, for appearing to be soft on criminals and tough on everyone else. It appears that even the new calm and measured ACP Williams has had enough. ACP Williams says, “The officers will be out there in a more aggressive manner in the gang ridden neighborhoods, conducting stop and search, of them, their vehicles, motorcycles, whatever they’re seen on. They will be harassed by the police until they get the message.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police Dezerie Phillips says, “Within the North Division we have reconfigured our patrolling strategies, something that we have to constantly be doing, and I have to say that its effectiveness has been a very good one for us.” ACP Edward Broaster is relying on community support to tackle crime in the rural areas of the Belize District. “Major crime in whole is down overall for Rural Eastern Division. We enjoy a good cooperation with members of the community of Rural Eastern Division, the citizenry in a whole. And that partnership will continue.”
