Police unit keeps tabs on deportees
They are cited across the Caribbean as the prime cause of violent crime. What I’m talking about is the hundreds of convicted criminals, who after serving their jail terms in the U.S. are put on a plane back home–a home that many have often not seen for decades. This morning News 5’s Jacqueline Woods visited with the police unit charged with the task of keeping tabs on the new arrivals.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Since January of 2002, a total of one hundred and fifteen Belizeans were deported from the United States after serving time for various offences ranging from illegal entry all the way to murder.
Jacqueline Woods
“Do you find this more of a headache for you guys in the police force whereby you have all of these deportees to deal with? Would you rather see them remain in the United States?”
Sgt. Chester Williams, Commander, Crimes Intelligence Unit
“Well, if they could have remained there, I think it would have been a better idea and it would be less burdensome for us. But because they are Belizeans, they are sent back home and we must cope with whatever and just deal with them the way we’re suppose to deal with them.”
One way Belize authorities have been dealing with deportees is through a programme run by the Crimes Intelligence Unit.
Sgt. Chester Williams
“Each deportee upon arriving in Belize are usually dealt with by immigration. After the immigration is through with them, they are handed over to the police, our section, who go through the process of profiling them. After being profiled, they are issued a compliance letter which states certain requirements that they must comply with. Any breach of such compliance letter, they could be prosecuted by law, they will be charged by the police and taken to court.”
Under the Summary Jurisdiction Act, the law requires each deportee to: report to the police daily or at other such intervals as may be specified, not change his residence without notifying the commissioner of police, not associate with any criminal gang or member, and to comply with any other requirements as the Commissioner of Police may specify. Presently, deportees are required to sign in every Friday at the Queen Street Police station for at least six months, although some, who remain a high risk, have been in the programme for as long as three years.
Sgt. Chester Williams
“We must have some system in place to monitor their movements to see if they are doing what is required of them to do. Because even though some of them might not be directly involved in crimes in Belize, after having been deported, they are masterminders in many crimes in Belize. They are not at the forefront, but they are the masterminders behind many of the crimes committed in Belize.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Why isn’t this same kind of special attention equally given to those persons who have committed similar crimes right here in Belize?”
Sgt. Chester Williams
“Well, our seasoned criminals in Belize, we know them, we know how they operate and everything. But the criminals who are deported from America, some of them we don’t know them.”
To date, sixty-four deportees are supposed to report regularly to C.I.U. But, nine of those persons have disappeared and authorities have been unable to locate them. Those who comply and show up to sign their names, have their own opinions of the programme. Thirty-two year old Wilfred Bevans was deported from New York just over a year ago on drug offences. Bevans, who recently completed the programme, says he does not have a problem with it, even though many who showed up today at the station, expressed their displeasure off camera.
Wilfred Bevans, Deportee
“When you arrive here deported you go to the authorities and they bring you here and they say, well sir, now you’re finished. So I really can’t understand why a person wouldn’t understand that or be ignorant. Cause you’re not out of the authorities hands until…all you see is that they’re linked, which is good. Again, there is no brutality in that.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Do you believe that some kid of rehabilitated programme is needed to help these persons who are coming back from abroad?”
Sgt. Chester Williams
“Well I think that would be a good idea to put something in place where they can go for maybe counselling or something, to try to put them back on the right track. Because many of these people who are deported, some of them don’t even know their relatives in Belize. They have been out there for nearly their entire life, now they’re brought back to Belize and they don’t know where they will go.”
The practice of monitoring deportees was reinstated in August after lying dormant for several years. Today, as the number of deportees increase, there are plans to expand the C.I.U. to make it more efficient. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
One deportee that the police are looking for is Arthur Young. Young is wanted for questioning in a number of murders that occurred earlier this year. Sources tell News 5, however, that Young has left the country and is believed to be somewhere in Los Angeles, California.
