Howell Gillett Brings Fresh Approach to Eastern Division (South)

Howell Gillett

There is a new commander to take on the Eastern Division South Command of the Police Department in the city. After eight months on the job as the head of what is considered the toughest areas to police, Senior Superintendent Marco Vidal will be replaced effectively March nineteenth by Senior Superintendent Howell Gillett, the now former Commander at the Belmopan Police Formation. Gillett, a career police officer for decades, has had record success along with his team in the Belmopan jurisdiction in crime-fighting and arresting perpetrators. In a one-on-one with News Five, Gillett says he has a different approach to policing. 

Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett, Newly Assigned Regional Commander, Eastern Division South

“It’s an honor for me to come to Belize. I’ve seen all that was happening especially with young people that gives me all the bad emotions and something had to happen. And I am happy for the Commissioner and his management team who saw it in me to choose me to come to Belize City and I won’t let the police department down nor the country of Belize. Some of the techniques that we were using in Belmopan, I will employ. But like what Minister Elrington said recently, it is not a superman; it is a super team. I’ve planned a meeting for Monday of next week; that’s my first day in Belize City and I will implore on officers because I know that the image of the department especially on the south side is not where we want it to be. We will try to work with officers to reduce corruption, reduce abuse—I will never ever sanction police officers beating upon our citizens—but that will be told on a frequent basis.  Those who continue to do that will be dealt with in the sternest of way. We would also, like in Belmopan, without the public support, we could never achieved what we did. So immediately I will be going out on the streets, house to house to meet especially the affected areas in Belize City. Those are the areas we will start with immediately and then we will go to other areas.”