L.I.U. Donates One Hundred Body Cams to Belize Police Department
The Belize Police Department today received one hundred new body cameras to add their inventory. The body cameras were donated by the Leadership Intervention Unit and handed over to the Ministry of Home Affairs in Belmopan. The use of body cameras is one of the many crime fighting and policing accountability strategies being employed by the department in its efforts to curb violent crime and decrease instances of police brutality. News Five’s Paul Lopez was in Belmopan for the handing over ceremony. He filed the following report.
Richard Rosado
Dr. Richard Rosado, Deputy Commissioner of Police
“Embracing technological advances, promoting a shared vision in managing crime and working with our partners, our stakeholders, is a vision, strategic direction that our ministry has been promoting and the Belize Police Department has embraced that direction.”
The Leadership Intervention Unit today handed over one hundred body cameras to the Ministry of Home Affairs for use by specialized officers within the Belize Police Department. Kareem Musa, the Minister of Home Affairs was present to receive the cameras.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“This is all geared towards outfitting our specialized units, the MIT, the GI3 and the SPU, which comprise of approximately two hundred officers. These are the officers who go out on raids. These are the officers who engage most with members of the public and so it is very essential that we equip them with body cams, not for their own safety, but as Mr. Dawson mentioned for us to get a full picture, full accountability of each and every scenario when members of the department engage with members of the public.”
Dr. Richard Rosado
“The benefits of the body cameras are huge, we believe that it will help us in improving our system of accountability and the utilization alone will tell the public in our department we are serious about transparency, we are serious about accountability. So, I applaud the efforts of the LIU and its stakeholders in donating the body cameras.”
William Dawson, Chairman of the Leadership Intervention Unit, is all too familiar with the endless complaints from members of the public about police brutality, particularly from young men in south side Belize City who are prime targets for law enforcement officers.
William Dawson
William Dawson, Chairman, L.I.U.
“We also have to educate our people on how it is they educate our police officers. Police officers are human beings as well and so, a lot of these young men and women are already suffering from many types of trauma. The minute that they see a police they already feel offended by just the uniform. So, we have seen great strides by the police department and officers on the ground to try to have a different approach. We want to make sure that there is fair play, that the playing field is leveled, that if there is a complaint that it is justifiable evidence that can be reviewed, that we do not just take one person’s account of what has transpired and so, these body cams I believe will assist us greatly in that regard.”
Two hundred and fifty body cameras are already being utilized by the department. Today’s donation and a recent donation of hundred body cameras from the Belize Tourism Board will bring that number to four hundred and fifty. Dr. Richard Rosado, the Deputy Commissioner of Police says the cameras will also assist the police in its training efforts.
Dr. Richard Rosado
“When an individual knows that they are being recorded or believe they are being recorded their behavior starts to change and they become less aggressive. So, we believe that it helps us to improve our police officer safety. The footage from the body camera is also an effective tool for us in terms of our training capability or capacity, because what other real way of getting real examples, in terms of the footage. So, it will immensely help us in terms of our training effort. It can also serve to prove complaints against police and also disprove unwarranted complaints.”
Kareem Musa
“Adding body cams to the equation will lend obvious benefits in restoring that level of confidence that the Belizean people have in our department. And, as I mentioned on the last occasion we have seen just over the past year and eighty percent reduction in the number of cases reported of abuse by police officers. I think that speaks volumes to the new direction we are taking.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez
