City Crime “Destroying the Nation”
When we caught up with NEAB today, we also asked about the alarming crime situation. Antipathy for the Government aside, the association agreed with and adopted the position of Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Elrington that turf wars over imported marijuana is behind much of the recent killing on the Southside. While some of the murders cannot be so easily ascribed, Evangelical president Lance Lewis made a public appeal to those enmeshed in the criminal lifestyle to change their ways.
Lance Lewis, President, National Evangelical Association of Belize
“I would say: you’re killing out your own people, and especially black people; you’re destroying the nation. Some of it is drug-related; I don’t know what the other things are that are pushing it; but drugs has played a pivotal part in the crime wave that we see in Belize. The gangs are there; I don’t know their involvement but we would think weed is involved. With this new legislation to help to decriminalize and put people out of prison for ten grams, it’s going to create more problems, and more people will be in medical institutions.”
Secretary to the Association and counselor George Ferrar invited those seeking help to come to the Remar office on Johnson Street, where today’s press conference was held, for their weekly prayer service held on Wednesdays.