Friends of Michael Young in Police Department Mourn Ahead of Monday Funeral

Edward Broaster

Senior Counsel Michael Young will be laid to rest on Monday, following a funeral service at Wesley Methodist Church.  While many are still grieving the sudden death of the respected lawyer, others are celebrating his professional achievements, as well as his contributions to Belizean society.  Young was instrumental as chair of the Crime Control Committee and maintained a very close relationship with the Belize Police Department, particularly Eastern Division.  This morning, Assistant Commissioners of Police Dezerie Phillips and Edward Broaster, along with attorney Alifah Elrington, convened a brief press conference to reflect on his life as a friend of law enforcement.

ACP Edward Broaster, Commander, Rural Eastern Division

“We would like to sincerely express our condolences to the family and friends of Senior Counsel Michael young. I had the opportunity to engage Mister Young in a conversation in early December 2015 about different matters of crime and citizen security in Belize. As you all know Mister Young had served on the Crime Control Council and had made some significant recommendations to the government. Nevertheless, we’ve been toiling with the idea of establishing a People’s Coalition Committee and when I spoke to Mister Young about that, he exclaimed that that was something that is wonderful. The three commanders of the north division, south division and the rural division were contemplating on developing our own People’s Coalition Committee, but eventually we came together and decide that we will have only one and Mister Young had graciously agreed to meet with us and then we had a meeting between the commanders and Mister Young.”

Alifah Elrington

Alifah Elrington, President, People’s Coalition Committee

“On behalf of the People’s Coalition Committee, my family, my wider family, we would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the family of Mister Young. I had reservations coming here this morning because I practically grew up with Mister Young. They are very close members of his family that are friends of mind and we grew up together over the years. So this has been a difficult situation for myself and my family and for the members of the People’s Coalition Committee because as both Assistant Commissioners Broaster and Phillips have said, he has been one of the driving forces for our committee. Because of his love and dedication to this country, he has given his full support—his time—to our committee. Anything we wanted to do, no matter how big, Mister Young has always been the one to encourage our committee we can do it; as long as we put our resources together we are able to do that. And that has always been who Michael Young was to me.”