Cops Promote Hoops for Community Policing

Fighting gang and criminal activities with basketball? That’s what the police department is doing. Today they officially launched a sixteen week basketball programme in the Southside that will see members of ten gang groups participate in friendly competition. A.C.P. Chester Williams says that he hopes it will help to put down the guns and squash some of the gang feuds.

ACP Chester Williams, Regional Commander, Eastern Division South

Chester Williams

“Like you can see there are representatives from various gang groups across south side Belize City who will be partaking in this competition. We believe that this is one way for them to compete among themselves healthily instead of being out there with guns shooting at each other. They can come and shoot basketball on the basketball court competing for a cash prize at the end.  The first prize is one thousand, second prize is seven fifty, and third prize is seven hundred dollars.  The competition is expected to last sixteen week and we decide based on the games who the winners will be and we also have three cups for first, second and third place, as well as medals. It is very good initiative we hope that it will yield some positive results in terms of how we interact with the young people on Southside Belize City and how we can use this also as a part of the intervention in trying to help them diffuse the different feuds they have among themselves.”

Participating neighborhoods include Kraal Road, Southside, George Street, Taylor’s Alley, Jump Street, Martin’s, Jane Usher, Boulevard, Faber’s Road and Afghanistan area. The programme is sponsored by B.T.L.