No New Police Recruit Squad, But ComPol Won’t Complain

A new fiscal year will be ushered in on Saturday, minus the celebration that usually accompanies the ringing in of a new calendar year.  In fact, the 2017 financial calendar is one of austerity, with budgetary cutbacks in various government departments.  One particular office that won’t be singing the Auld Lange Syne come April first is the Ministry of Home Affairs.  Its budget for the Belize Police Department does not provide an allocation for the training of new recruits.  So while the Commissioner of Police intends to grow the force to three thousand strong, those numbers will remain at a standstill this year.  ComPol Whylie told the media on Monday that he is prepared to work with the existing numbers in the police department.

Reporter

“Commissioner, will there be any new recruits passing out this year?”

Allen Whylie

Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police

“No sir.”

Reporter

“Could you tell us why?”

Allen Whylie

“There is none in the budget for it at this time.”

Reporter

“Wouldn’t you say then that the budget cuts have affected the performance or the capacity of the Belize Police Department?”

Allen Whylie

“I wouldn’t say so, simply because of the fact that over the years we’ve had a number of recruits squads which have again weren’t budgeted for.  So whilst there is none in the budget at this point in time, I am optimistic that perhaps in the near future we’ll be able to have a recruit.  We cannot worry about if we have a recruit squad or not, we have got to be here in the present and work with what we have and try to use it to the best to have the kind of results that we so desire.”

Reporter

“If you had it in your power, would you have suggested a cut in the allocation to the police department when, for example, in 2016 we had the second highest rate of murders over the past five, six years?”

Allen Whylie

“It’s not up to me sir, I will work with what I have.”

Reporter

“But my question, would you have wanted it differently?”

Allen Whylie

“I don’t want to be hypothetical.  I will work with what I have.”

Reporter

“You don’t want to offend the politicians.”

Allen Whylie

“No, I’m a realist. I have got to work with what I have.  It’s no use saying I would want three, four or five hundred other officers.  It is my intent to grow the department to three thousand and I think through the years we’ve grown the department and there are things that are above my control and I will work with what I have.”