All Eyes on Intake 95
Intake 95 will go down as arguably the most diverse and qualified cohort of young recruits to enlist in the Belize Police Department. Only two hundred and twenty-five eligible men and women will make the final cut, however, interested candidates from across the country journeyed to Belmopan last week to submit their applications. The addition to the rank and file of local law enforcement is the first entry in an ambitious plan to strengthen the numbers of officers in the department.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I am happy to see that a number of young persons are interested in being a member of the Belize Police Department and you know what I found ironic was that some of the same persons who are applying, a very large number of them are those who are criticizing the police on social media daily. So you find that our enemies now want to join us and that is welcoming. I just want to say to them that I hope that their interest in wanting to be a member of the department is not just for the salary, but rather that they want to really and truly be a part of the department in terms of trying to see how they can help us to develop and change the culture of this department and I know that it is going to be difficult for us in terms of selecting that small number that we wish to recruit which is going to be two hundred and twenty-five. The fact that we have so many people, it gives us a broader pool to select from and we are going to ensure that we select the best of the best and let me say that I am extremely grateful that during the whole application process, the minister has been saying to us, “please commissioner, we do not want these applicants to have to be getting a recommendation letter from no politician.” And that was very important because we don’t want to recruit people based on political affiliation, we want to recruit people based on their academic qualifications and their impeccable background and their willingness to wanting to serve this country in the most professional way that we as a people would want them to.”
