Police Install New Booth on Barrack Road

Senior Superintendent Howell Gillett was on hand this afternoon to receive a brand new police booth on the north side. We met Gillett on Barrack Road where the police booth was installed. The purpose is to improve the working conditions for police officers. This is the second booth to be donated to the Belize Police Department. The first was installed on the corner of West Canal and Rocky Road. Today, we stopped by for the installation of the second booth which we found out was donated by Brothers Habet.  News Five’s Andrea Polanco tells us more.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Permanent police checkpoints across the city will soon feature these signature yellow and green booths. No longer will cops have to sit under tents and brave the sun, rain and dust. This brand new police booth was installed today on Barrack Road near the town clock. Southside Commander Howell Gillett says that it is all about improving the working conditions for officers.

Howell Gillett

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

“Well, we have to look after the welfare of our officers. Imagine, at two a.m. there is a big rain and there is the onset of the hurricane season, as well as the rainy season that comes along with  the hurricane season, so we have to look after our officers. It is unfair to them to be in that condition under a tent after a heavy rain. So, to show them that we do care we are trying to replace all the tents throughout the region one side of the city to the booths you are seeing here now.  It is part of a wider plan to change all the tents through-out the city and especially on region one side of the city. This is our way, and I will sound like a scratch record, but we must look after the officers; the men and women who we ask on a daily and nightly basis to assist us in the fight against crime. They are the ones who are out there twenty-four hours per day and the least we can do for them is to make their jobs comfortable and this is part of doing that.”

Carlo Habet

This new police booth is the first of two booths to be donated by Brothers Habet in Belize City. Marketing Manager Carlo Habet explains why his business decided to be a good corporate citizen and join in on the new initiatives being introduced around the city.

Carlo Habet, Marketing Manager, Brothers Habet

“I had met Mr. Gillett some months ago. I knew he was new and he came with a good reputation from Belmopan and I understood he got the community involved and I guess he got me involved. I guess when he came to me with this idea that they wanted to replace a lot of these tents that are especially on the Southside, it is kinda demoralizing if you are under the weather and these kinds of things. So, I agreed. I think there was one gentleman who had given a booth on the Southside before, Mr. Lopez. So, Habet and Habet had helped us to take it down with a forklift.  But basically, we have one more to do for Taylor’s Alley. But because this is my neighbourhood and we have one here, I thought this would be a nice place as well. I feel that what better place to start than your own neighborhood.  I feel like once these booths are up, the moral of the police is boosted; the community is more engaged and I guess you will see a safer environment. I got a good deal on this one. Mr. Lopez is selling them for three thousand which is pretty decent and it comes with delivery and these guys, as you can see, they are putting in the windows right now and they are leveling it quality piece of work.”

The next booth to be installed will be in the Taylor’s Alley area. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.