Police Help Out School Children on Southside

The Police Department’s Eastern Division South partnered with the Angelus Press to give three hundred school bags to deserving kids on the south side. The initiative stems from its community policing efforts. Today, the children were hosted at a brief ceremony with lunch at the Raccoon Street Police Station where they received their backpacks.  Minister of State for Police Elodio Aragon Junior says that this kind of initiative is important to help with the department’s community relations.

Jaime Newball

Elodio Aragon Jr., Minister of State, Police

“I think it is a wonderful initiative because it brings about the police truly working with the community and I think we need more of these things. I think it speaks well of Angelus Press as a corporate sponsor coming and support our young people here in the south side of Belize. I think it goes a long way. It is this kind of interaction that breaks down the barrier between community and the police and I think we need more of these things because we need to reach our young people at a very young age because we need to reach to them first before the influences of the streets and I do think that this initiative goes a long way and I want to big up Angelus Press for their kind donation of three hundred bags along with other school items that is being donated today. I want to big up Mr Marco Vidal as the Officer in Charge here for embracing that community policing spirit and as you all know the Police Department has a job to do but we are also one of the biggest department on a day to day basis engaging with the community. This speaks well of the department and it speaks well of all officers engaged in community policing and we have come a long way  – I think we are one of the best in the region in terms of what we do in terms of community policing.   You all know the demographics in terms of the south side. It is an area that is of concern to the police and I think that community support should go to those in need and you might say that giving a school bag is not a big thing, but to me, I think it goes a long way for a child to know that he has a new school bag and the essential materials for him to do well in school. I think that it gives them the message that they have people who are willing to support them in their education, people who care for them and their future. I think those are the things that as police men and women it continues to make that relationship between the community and police grown from an early start and I think that is very important.”