Police Assures Public They Can Christmas Shop in Safety

Christmas is just around the corner, and Belizeans are getting ready to celebrate this festive season with their loved ones. As the streets fill with eager shoppers searching for the perfect gifts, the Belize Police Department will be out in full force to ensure everyone can shop safely. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams shared the department’s plans to keep everyone safe this holiday season.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“The police will continue to do what we can to avert these fatal traffic accidents involving motorcycles in particular. It is a very challenging one because as much as we try to educate drivers or riders of these motorcycles. We are still seeing on the part of some of them who are very reckless in how they maneuver these motorcycles in the city and on the highways. And the police continue to work along with the Department of Transport and in the cities and towns with the local traffic department. to see what we can do to be able to avert these things from happening. In terms of crime, again, for the Christmas period, we do what we normally do, which is, say, to conduct the annual Christmas anti crime campaign. This is where we see police officers would come out having worked their shift for the day. They come out in the evening time and do extra patrol between six and ten p.m. In the business areas, as well as the hotspots. This is done with a view to ensure that those persons who wish to go out and do their personal shopping can do so in a crime-free environment, feeling safe with the presence of the police, as well as for merchants to be able to conduct business in a safe environment. Again, looking at the hotspots, we maintain presence within those areas as well because we don’t want for people to be leaving those areas and going to the commercial zones and commit crime. and then go back into these areas. And at the same time, we also do it to guard against shootings and other violent crime that may occur in those particular areas.”