A Draw on the Field, But a Victory for Region One Police

On the occasion of Labour Day, police from Region One, Eastern Division, brought out thirty-two kids from Region One area of Eastern Division to play football against Roaring Creek and Camalote’s under-thirteen football teams. The youngsters from Mesopotamia, Collet and Queen’s Square neighborhoods split a pair of games, but former Belmopan Commander, now Region One Commander, Senior Superintendent Howell Gillett counts the victory as more than the games on the field.

Howell Gillett

Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett, Regional Commander, Region One, Eastern Division

“We invited twenty-five kids to go to Roaring Creek to play two games, against Roaring Creek and Camalote; thirty-two kids showed up yesterday morning. It was Labour Day; we could have found ourselves doing other activities with our families but we chose to try to help young people. We are moving in emergency mode to help young people and we are pleased not only because of the results of the game, but because so many kids showed up on a holiday to go out and play sports. We were able to be victorious against Roaring Creek, one to nil; and Roaring Creek joined in a selection with Camalote and played against us and we lost three to two. It’s not the score that counts as much as the interaction that we had, because some of the kids were saying that they had never ever moved outside of the City; some of them didn’t know about Roaring Creek, so we are happy to have been there. And we are also happy that the Minister of National Security, Honorable John Saldivar, was there to welcome the kids. In his remarks, he told the kids – and I listened intently – he said he had many experiences, that he had saved so many lives, the lives of young people, over the years that he has been actively involved, especially in football. So we are pleased that he was there to greet the kids, and it means a lot – from the very top, we are serious about the fight against crime and the use of sport to help the fight against crime.”