34 Officers Graduate From P.E.A.C.E Program Training

The Positive Engagement and Civic Education Program or P.E.A.C.E Program was launched in late 2023 to encourage youths to stand up against bullying and gang violence. The program was developed through a collaboration between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education, with support from the U.S. Embassy. The program is expanding beyond the Old Capital. And today, the Belize Police Department graduated an additional thirty-four officers equipped with the necessary told to go out and engage youths on the program’s curriculum. We spoke with Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, at today’s graduation ceremony.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We are now expanding on that program. The expansion required that we had to train more police officers and instructors to go into the classroom and instruct on the content of the peace program. So, we are graduating thirty-four offices today and they are from across the country. Their task will be to ensure they go into the classrooms as we now expand the program across the country. We expect they are going to instruct the students on the content of this program. Again, it is a part of our community policing programs. You would know we are currently embarking more aggressively on the importance of community policing. If it is that we want to break the cycle of gangs, we have to start with children who are in that primary school age, making sure we raise the tree the right way is important, because if you neglect the tree and the tree bends it is going to be difficult to straighten that tree.”