How’s the LIU Faring Off?

Chester Williams

The Leadership Intervention Unit, despite its effort at working closely with gang members to change their lives and circumstances, is going through a rough patch.  L.I.U. Chairman William Dawson passed away earlier this year and in the ensuing months there have been several incidents, including recidivism, that have plagued the organization.  Those incidents have also strained the police department’s efforts at addressing gang violence in Belize City.  Earlier today, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams spoke on the present situation.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We are not naïve to believe that because of the efforts that we are doing through LIU that the gang problem will just disappear in its entirety and so quickly.  We do operate on a daily basis, anticipating that there will be occasions where there will be flare ups.  And it cannot be that we take these incidents and cast away the program or assume that the program is working.  But what we must do and what we have been doing when we do have these flare ups is to see how we can calm the storm and navigate our way through to ensure that we can restore peace within the different neighborhoods, and that is what we have been doing.  I know that there are going to be some people who will say that the program is not working, but believe you me, and I am sure that you, as members of the media, could also attest to the fact that the crime, particularly gang-related incidents, is down.”