Police Declares State of Emergency in Southside Belize City, Roaring Creek

A State of Emergency is now in effect in southside Belize City and Hattieville, as well as specific areas in the Cayo District such as Roaring Creek Village, Another World Area, Camalote Village, and Young Bank Area. This SOE comes after a violent weekend last week, when gun-related crimes increased at an alarming rate. Three persons were murdered in less than two days, with other shootings taking place in Belize City. The SOE will remain in place for one month. Statutory Instrument number fifty-eight gives the police the power to enter any premises, stop and search any vessel, vehicle, or individual, and seize anything found that they believe was intended to disrupt public safety and order without a warrant. We spoke with Commissioner of Police Chester Williams for an update on the situation.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“At this present moment, the police and the B.D.F. are on operations within, not just the Antelope area, but practically the entire south side Belize city.  As you would be aware by now, a state of emergency was declared this morning covering the almost entire south side of Belize city and the Hattieville and another world area of Roaring Creek village, as well as Young Bank area of Camalote village.  And so, we also have police and BDF operating in Roaring Creek and Camalote, picking up those persons who we believe are part and parcels of the flair up of gun violence in the Belmopan area. Here in Belize City, you know that we have had a slate of shootings, two of which were fatal and we have I believe about two other persons who are currently admitted in the hospital in a critical condition. Those were shot on Sunday in the Jane Usher Boulevard area and so due to the flare up of gun violence in the city as well as in the Roaring Creek and the Camelote area the state of emergency was declared, and we are now going after those persons we believe are part and parcel of those flair ups. Well, the truth is we have seen a long lull Belize City. Again, I always said it takes one idiot to pull a trigger and that could cause a flare up. And these flare ups are going to happen occasionally, and we have to be able to have the right approach in dealing with it. As I have said to the minister when we discussed the SOE that it had reached a stage where if we don’t do something, then the cancer is going to spread further and then the other gangs are going to feel like, oh, over there it’s flaring up and nothing’s been done to them, so better we have our own thing to. So we have to ensure that we do something that is measurable and that is going to bring some calm.”