The government’s latest move to curb gang violence has already resulted in the detention of forty-six suspected gang members, who have been transferred to the Belize Central Prison. The State of Emergency, which took effect last week, is expected to last for one month, but officials say it could be extended if necessary. Authorities argue that this measure is vital to restoring public safety in areas plagued by escalating violence. But not everyone is convinced. Critics are calling the State of Emergency a ‘Band-Aid solution’—a temporary fix that fails to address the deeper, systemic issues fueling gang activity. They point to a lack of long-term strategies, limited economic opportunities, and inadequate community support as root causes that remain unaddressed. So, what’s the real plan to tackle violent crime in the long run? That’s the question we put to the Commissioner of Police, Doctor Richard Rosado, during a press briefing on Wednesday. Here’s his response and what it could mean for the future of crime prevention in Belize.
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
“Our effort has always been three-fold, prevention, intervention and the enforcement strategy. The intervention aspect of it, we rely on our stakeholders, we rely on the leadership intervention unit, they have been instrumenting in terms of the opportunistic programs, in terms of the mediation and the other intervention programs and support services. So, we rely on that. We primarily focus on the prevention aspect of it and the enforcement aspect of it. All three levels must be coordinated and communicated with one another for it to be effective.”