Belize - Belize News - Channel5Belize.com - Great Belize Productions - Belize Breaking News
Home » Crime, Featured » A new plan for combating crime
May 22, 2012

A new plan for combating crime

Earlier today, the Police Department held a press conference as a result of the shooting death of a standard three student.  The presence of the police and B.D.F. on the streets was recently increased by eighty additional personnel. But with seven shooting incidents occurred over the weekend, it seems that the Ministry of National Security’s plan also needs to be upgraded. At today’s press conference, the police briefed the media on the success rate of the increased patrols and their effectiveness in the fight against the crime and violence across the city. And with the continued hike in criminal activity, they also presented a briefing on the plans that will be implemented to counteract those activities.

 

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Since April, The Belize Police Department made a move to have more boots on the ground to help maintain peace. Since May, four murders have taken place in Belize City. But Police Press Officer, Fitzroy Yearwood, says the increased presence of the law enforcement officers is contributing positively to the fight against crime:

 

Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

Fitzroy Yearwood

“The police presence was more than usual on the boulevard, one; the quick response of police in the area, led to the apprehension of Andrew Willoughby on Arlington Drive. Arlington Drive is only a few feet away from the scene of the crime. Mister Willoughby was detained trying to reach to his home. So the police presence, it’s there, but like I said, the window of opportunity is what causes crime. This person committed the murder on boulevard and was apprehended only a few feet away. So I must say, while we are not everywhere all the time, the police presence led to the apprehension of the accused gunman. What I am saying is the patrols were put in place after Kaylon Matura’s murder and we have seen the end result. And we will continue our police presence as much as possibly, our patrols will improve and we will continue to improve. At the same time, we are asking the assistance of the general public. We do not know when people are lay-waiting each other, but if you see strange people in your neighborhood—people that you know are out of place—and you call 911, more than likely the police response will be good.”

 

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Elodio Aragon Junior, says the department is devising a plan to curb the high crime levels:

 

Elodio Aragon Jr.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Elodio Aragon Jr., O.C.E.D.

“In regards to what the Belize Police Department is doing in regards to addressing the situation. I know that last month I wasn’t here, I was aware, but I can tell you that we recorded twelve murders last month, April. I can also tell you that this month, May; we have five murders up to today’s date. And I can tell you that we are presently working towards a plan that will see improvement in regards to the response of police to incidents. This entire plan along with plans that will work together to address the crime situation is presently been put on paper and is presently being effected slowly and we hope to see that at the end of this month, we will have this plan into action. The plan, basically we are looking at re-zoning Belize City. Presently, we have six police zones in Belize and we have since looked at these six zones and broken them up to give us eleven new police zones. So the Belize District will have eleven police zones and we have also hoped, once end of month comes, we should be receiving ten vehicles from the U.S. Embassy which will see us having one vehicle per each zone. So the eleven zones that we will have come end of this month—the maps have already been drawn and we are just getting ready to receive the new vehicles from the U.S. Embassy which will then be put in these police zones therefore increasing our response to call or all calls of emergency and also having more persons on the ground. That is one part of our plan. The other part which has already taken form to a certain extent, is that of creating two small task force to deal directly with these persons who we have identified as committing these shooting—especially the shooting incidents within Belize City. So that is already ongoing. Along with reconfiguring our patrols to ensure that the men and the women on the ground are being effective in dealing with the crime situation. That means our stop and searches, the way we patrol on the ground, looking at the places and the times we patrol—all of these things are presently being done to ensure that we maximize the effectiveness of our police on the ground. This along with our meet and greet campaign and along with our campaign to address anti-social behavior and to deal with the quality of life issues that concerns all citizens of this country; especially the residents of Belize City. So all of this is coming, it is a plan that we have put together and I believe at the end of the month, we will unveil this plan along with all the maps for you to see. But that is where we are going.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Andrea Polanco.

 

Police say that they have made progress with the May seventeenth murder of Jerminie McNab, the owner of Mobile Hardware. The cops are seeking two suspects in connection with that incident.


Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

Advertise Here

7 Responses for “A new plan for combating crime”

  1. Rod says:

    Yearwood and the rest of this useless gov. Keeps saying that they are doing a good job well let me tell you their was more murders in Belize than in iracq last month so how can they come and say such stupidity without the hanging penalty this will never stop so that’s the number one thing that has to be done bring back the hanging penalty now not tomorrow but now immediately and hang them tha bridge foot so that all can see then we need to get a leader leading the country and it’s definitely not barrow and this gov. March belizeans march to the pm house we do not need to sit back and take this useless incompetent pm and gov. Anymore guan barrow guannnnnnn you are a total failure at your job in fact the united nations should take you to court for crimes against your country men.

  2. dunfedup says:

    “New plan”-you mean they had a plan before? This administration and ministry is a joke with Saldivar its chief clown.

  3. Sasha says:

    All these people dying are YOUNG BLACK MEN, gang related too; what makes you think they will grow too old age with the PATH THEY HAVE CHOSEN. Unfortunately just like war innocent people die, Mothers continue to embed the seriousness of these crimes in your children and teach them to become productive citizens, just because you are bored means you have to go kill/rob.

  4. Storm says:

    dunfedup, don’t you remember the old plan? PAY THE GANGSTERS TO BE NICE. I’m sure GOB thinks we just need to pay them more and they will be nicer.

    You can’t appease evil, you can only fight and defeat it. It’s the same problem since man was created, the war between good and evil.

  5. MAGABUAY says:

    HAHAHAHA an easy way to solve this mess is by powering/bettering Barrows gang suppression unit so as to as fight off these good for nothing scumbags and well possibly kill those pieces of $#!% like rats…you know what i’m saying. That’s the way to go kill those ….. and bring back the hanging penalty, hell its good for society and also its entertainment.

  6. belizeaninasia says:

    Nothing will be more effective than making the penalty for murder stiffer i.e. ‘death penalty.’ Why aren’t they considering this? Belizean people we have to rise up together and face the Gov’t and make these demands, not stopping until we get positive results. Exercise your God-given rights and mek wi use wi head and stop sitting by saying that God will take care of it. He won’t because He give us the power already and He ain’t gonna do for us what we can do for ourselves.

    Now look at this: why is it that the GOB have to depend on the U.S embassy”s “generosity” to give them vehicles so that they can be in more areas at different times? What Anyway, that is a different story.

    In words of the late Bob Marley: Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights….don’t give up the fight.

  7. pyne weh says:

    Me deh yah di pyne weh wid worry and look how fat these guys look. Less murders occurred this month but I based on what I’ve been reading there seems to have been more attempts on people’s lives this month than last month….and how many of the attempted murderers were they able to catch up to? Oh…I forgot, the investigation continues…

You must be logged in to post a comment Login