100 new vehicles purchased for police
To those who can remember when the law enforcement vehicle of choice was a bicycle, the purchase of one hundred new cars and trucks for the Police Department is something out of science fiction. But seeing is believing and today the cops took the opportunity to show off their new transport.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
This afternoon twenty 2003 Ford Focuses and twenty 2003 Ford Rangers were officially handed over to the Belize Police Department, with sixty more just like them to follow by the end of the month. The vehicles come courtesy of the Government of Belize.
Ralph Fonseca, Minister of Home Affairs
“You will recall that a few months ago we put out a tender and we had quite a few companies respond. And this particular company that represents Ford in Belize won the tender and they also funded the vehicles; it’s commercial financing.”
Janelle Chanona
“And this was at a price tag of what?”
Ralph Fonseca
“The total is around a little over three million dollars Belize. It’s about thirty thousand Belize per vehicle on the average.”
According to minister responsible for police, Ralph Fonseca, the addition to the department’s carpool is part of a government initiative to beef up the resources of Belizean law enforcement.
Ralph Fonseca
“They’ve gotten quite a bit of equipment. The Prime Minister was talking about the radio equipment that we have put in place, and of course the computer equipment. One set of equipment for finger printing, automated retrieval of fingerprints, and another set that has to do with the management information system and synchronising with the database in the prison and the outside world of course. And then we have our own satellite uplink and we’ve also brought in some new equipment for things like crowd control for the police in general for them to be able to do their jobs easier. You notice that the police have got new holsters for their guns and small things like that, but very important for the policeman out there on the beat.”
According to Police Commissioner Carmen Zetina, this first shipment of forty was distributed on a “needs” basis throughout the country.
Carmen Zetina, Commissioner of Police
“Initially, with the hundred we had figured out that each district, the special in need ones will be getting about five each. But because of this we had to reduce and give priority to the branch or unit that needs it most.”
Janelle Chanona
“And how did that pan out?”
Carmen Zetina
“Well if you look at the drugs unit, you look at the Dragon Unit, you look at Belize City proper because of the state of vehicles, we give them priority. On the highway, especially the highway patrol, that’s one of our priorities.”
But, as was evident during today’s ceremony, a certain police reputation is tailgating the new rides.
Carmen Zetina
“Accountability, care and maintenance of these vehicles will be primary concern for us at the Belize Police Department.”
Prime Minister Said Musa
“We end by appealing to all officers to take good care of these vehicles.”
Superintendent Bernard Lino
“The drivers who will be assigned to drive these vehicles, I urge them to do so in a careful manner.”
Carmen Zetina
“We carried out about five different courses, over a hundred police officers were trained. In the past they were not trained, so we carried out five different training courses to equip, or to have the skills, the police officers, to deal with this sort of acquisition.”
Janelle Chanona
“So you are confident that these vehicles will remain as they are?”
Carmen Zetina
“Yes it will remain, but you know, many a times, sometimes they fault us. On many occasions they have faulted the police in being wrong and the cases have proven that that’s not the case all the time.”
Janelle Chanona
“And if it does emerge that a police officer was in the wrong, what will be the consequences?”
Carmen Zetina
“Well they the consequences will be the maximum penalty, that we can dismiss in certain cases, and that doesn’t relieve them of the responsibility to pay back a vehicle, so we can sue after that.”
