4 Rogue Cops Arrested, Will There Be Any Convictions?

The police department has moved quickly to bring charges against four of its own and as many as seven other civilians whom they believe worked in concert to land a drug plane in southern Belize.  Despite the charges against the men, there is cynicism that the case will not end with any convictions.  After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that cases against accused officers have fallen apart in court.  But is the cynicism the result of an erosion in public confidence?

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“You’re right in saying that it’s an erosion of public confidence, but the truth is that should not be. If a matter a fact, it should be something that should boost public confidence. In the past, like you rightly said, we have been hearing about police involvement in these activities and they are never called. But now, we are catching them and now we are supposed to pay the price for catching them? Or should it be that we just left them to roam and commit these crime with impunity. I think the fact that we are that stage now where they have been caught and exposed, should be commended, and not what is currently being done. And this is what I would like the Belizean people to see. The amount of officers that we have disciplined and dismissed over the past few months is unprecedented. It shows that we are cleaning house and make sure that we hold our officers accountable. But it seems now that we are being punished for doing what needs to be done. We supposed to have just sat down and allow the officers to commit these illegal activities, not catching them , and that would be acceptable to society that the department is clean? We recognize that we have dirty cops.”