ComPol Says Let’s Get Back to Respecting Authority

Two weeks ago, the Senate debated amendments to the Criminal Code and Summary Jurisdiction Acts that seek to increase jail time for individuals who interfere with the work of law enforcement officers. Lead Opposition Senator, Michael Peyrefitte raised concerns over the definitions of certain offenses outlined in the legislation, such as indecent words and behavior. The Commissioner of Police was asked for his thoughts on the legislative changes. Here is what he told us.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Maybe the opposition has some intend to assault a police officer or judges or persons who are executing their duties as to why they would have issues with the law. See, that is one of the issue we have in Belize, we tend to not want to respect authority. When a police officer is discharging his or her duties it is important that they be respected, likewise a judge sitting in a court hearing a matter, it is important. Again, when we look at how our society has degraded so much that the fabric of what we are as human beings is lost to some extent. The lack of respect comes from these things and there certainly is a need to restore the core function and purpose of what we are as human beings. I believe the law is indeed timely and needed. I don’t see how it is going to be misapplied. At the end of the day the police is not going to be the prosecutor, the judge and the juror. The police is just going to be the one to apply the law in terms of arresting persons who may break the law. It has to go before a court and a magistrate is going to be the one to determine if in fact the act accused is sufficient to amount to aggravated assault and then apply the punishment as stipulated in the law. For me it is a very good law and only persons who may have intent to assault public officers in the execution of duties will have problems with that law.”